Watch out for enhanced ‘habagat’ as ‘Bavi’ nears PH
The chances of Supertyphoon “Bavi” making landfall in the country remain low as it nears the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR), the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said on Tuesday.
Pagasa weather specialist Benison Estareja said that as of 5 p.m., Bavi was located 1,705 kilometers east of Central Luzon and moving west-northwestward at 25 kilometers per hour (kph). It maintained its strength, carrying a maximum wind speed of 185 kph and gustiness of up to 230 kph.
Estareja said that Bavi may enter PAR on Wednesday morning and would be given the local name “Inday.”
It is expected to move over the northern portion of the Philippine Sea, moving west-northwest to northwest until it nears Taiwan and Okinawa, Japan, on Friday.
“Based on its latest and previous tracks, the chances of it making landfall is still low,” Estareja said.
Authorities, meanwhile, warned that while the cyclone is not expected to make landfall, it could still trigger dangerous weather conditions over large parts of the country by enhancing the southwest monsoon or “habagat.”
‘High-risk’ areas
In an interview on state-run PTV on Tuesday, Office of Civil Defense spokesperson Director Emerito Junie Castillo III said they have been closely monitoring the potential effects of Bavi on extreme northern and eastern Luzon, including Batanes, Babuyan Islands, northern Cagayan, Isabela and other parts of Cagayan Valley region, which are considered “high-risk” areas.
The western seaboard of the country, including the Ilocos Region, Zambales, Bataan, Palawan, Metro Manila, Mindoro and Western Visayas, could also experience heavy rainfall as the cyclone strengthens the habagat.
Despite remaining offshore, Bavi is expected to pass close to Batanes on Friday before exiting PAR on Saturday.
The heaviest rainfall is expected from Friday to Sunday, particularly over Negros Island, Western Visayas, Mimaropa, Bicol Region, National Capital Region, Calabarzon, Central Luzon, Ilocos Region, the western Cordillera and Cagayan Valley.
