Pagasa monitors tropical depression outside PAR

THE Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) is closely monitoring a tropical depression outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).

Weather specialist Robert Badrina on Monday said that the tropical depression is not expected to directly hit the country but it would enhance the southwest monsoon locally known as habagat which is affecting the western sections of Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

Badrina said the tropical depression was estimated some 1,100 kilometers west of Central Luzon and was moving west-northwestward at 25 kilometers per hour (kph). It has maximum sustained winds of 45 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 55 kph.

Pagasa said the enhanced southwest monsoon will bring overcast skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms in Mindanao, Western Visayas, Palawan and Occidental Mindoro.

The same weather system is affecting Metro Manila, the rest of MIMAROPA (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan), Batangas, Cavite, Laguna and Bataan where isolated downpours or thunderstorms will prevail.

The rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms due to the localized thunderstorms, the weather bureau said.