Monsoon, storm ‘Podul’ seen to bring rain until Tuesday
The seasonal southwest monsoon, locally called “habagat,” is expected to bring rain over Luzon in the next few days, even as weathermen await the arrival of Severe Tropical Storm “Podul.”
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said on Sunday that Podul was expected to enter the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) on Sunday night or early Monday, when it will be renamed “Gorio.”
Former Tropical Depression “Fabian” dissipated into a low-pressure area at around 2 a.m. on Sunday, Pagasa said.
In its 5 p.m. update on Sunday, weather specialist Charmaine Varilla said the center of Podul was spotted 1,680 kilometers east of extreme Northern Luzon, still outside PAR.
In its 11 a.m. tropical cyclone advisory, the state weather bureau said Podul “continues to accelerate while maintaining its strength.” It will be named “Gorio” once it enters the PAR.
The state weather bureau said Podul had maximum sustained winds of 110 kilometers per hour (kph) and gusts of up to 135 kph, moving west at 15 kph.
The storm continued to accelerate as it neared PAR, but it was not expected to directly affect the country.
The southwest monsoon, however, is expected to bring cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms.
Affected areas
The Ilocos Region, Batanes and Babuyan Islands were expected to have moderate to heavy rains, while Metro Manila, Zambales, Bataan, Cavite, Batangas, Occidental Mindoro and Palawan are expected to experience cloudy skies with isolated rain or thunderstorms.
The rest of the country will have fair weather with localized thunderstorms in the afternoon or evening.
Pagasa warned of possible flash floods or landslides, especially in low-lying areas, during heavy rains.
Pagasa said Podul is expected to maintain its westward direction toward Taiwan before it shifts to a northwestward direction on Tuesday.
By Wednesday, Podul is expected to pass close or over the southern Ryukyu Islands in Japan, but weathermen did not rule out the possibility that it may make landfall on Taiwan.
