Rainy week ahead as habagat continues to affect PH

The southwest monsoon, or habagat, is expected to continue affecting parts of the Philippines this week, bringing periods of rain and thunderstorms over several areas, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.

In a weekly weather outlook, the state weather bureau said habagat may continue to bring occasional to frequent rains over La Union, Pangasinan, Abra, Benguet, Zambales, Bataan, Cavite, Batangas, and Occidental Mindoro through Wednesday.

Metro Manila, the rest of Luzon, and Western Visayas may also experience cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms during the same period. A yellow rainfall warning was raised in parts of Luzon on Aug. 17, including Metro Manila, Cavite, Zambales, Batangas, Rizal, and Bataan.

By Thursday and Friday, Aug. 20 to 21, cloudy conditions are expected to persist over Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon due to the southwest monsoon, with chances of scattered rains and thunderstorms. Visayas and Mindanao may meanwhile experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.

Apart from the habagat, as of 8 a.m. on Monday, PAGASA has monitored a low pressure area inside the Philippine Area of Responsibility 1,140 kilometers east of Northern Luzon. There's a "medium" potential of it developing into a tropical depression within the next 24 hours.

PAGASA also issued general flood advisories for the National Capital Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos Region, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, and Bicol Region.

The habagat has brought heavy rains to the country since last week, after tropical cyclone Luis and tropical storm Maymay—both of which weakened into low pressure areas.

The Office of Civil Defense said on Aug. 16 that the combined effects of Luis, Maymay, and the habagat have left 24 people dead, 17 injured, and three missing. 1,410,800 families or 4,903,086 people have been affected.