The southwest monsoon, locally known as habagat, is expected to weaken starting Friday, Sept. 11, bringing lighter rains to parts of the Philippines, according to the state weather bureau. Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration weather specialist Leanne Loreto announced the forecast during a 5 a.m. weather advisory, noting that conditions are anticipated to improve over the weekend for regions across Luzon.
Rainfall Forecast and Affected Areas Across Luzon and Visayas
Pagasa reported that the weakening monsoon could still drop between 50 and 100 millimeters of rain over Pangasinan, La Union, Benguet, Zambales, and Bataan. Meanwhile, gloomy skies and scattered rains are predicted to persist across Metro Manila, the rest of Luzon, Western Visayas, and Northern Samar. While cloudy weather will remain common in other parts of Luzon, Loreto reported that residents can expect longer periods of sunshine breaking through the clouds.
Active Low-Pressure Areas Monitored Near the Country
Weather specialists are tracking two separate low-pressure areas (LPAs) influencing regional conditions. The first LPA is located 900 kilometers west of Southwestern Luzon and carries a medium chance of developing into a tropical depression within 24 hours. Loreto stated that this system is moving in a west-northwestward direction toward northern Vietnam, which is expected to draw the southwest monsoon away from the country. A second LPA sits 2,145 kilometers east of Eastern Visayas with a low chance of tropical cyclone development over the next 24 hours, though forecasters anticipate it will continue moving west-northwestward over the weekend and potentially enter the Philippine area of responsibility.
Related reading