By Samatha Yu
MANILA – The southwest monsoon, or “habagat,” will keep affecting several parts of Luzon with rainfall and thunderstorms, the state weather bureau said on Saturday.
In its 4 a.m. weather update, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said intermittent rains will persist over the Ilocos Region, Abra, Benguet, Zambales, and Bataan.
Scattered rain showers and thunderstorms are also expected across Metro Manila, Cagayan Valley, the Cordillera region, most areas of Central Luzon, as well as Rizal, Cavite, Batangas, and Occidental Mindoro.
Meanwhile, the rest of the country will experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms due to localized weather conditions.
PAGASA also monitored Tropical Depression Ester, which remains over the sea east of Taiwan.
As of 3 a.m., Ester was located about 350 kilometers north-northeast of Itbayat, Batanes, packing maximum sustained winds of 45 kph near the center and gusts of up to 55 kph. It is moving east-northeastward at 15 kph.
The weather bureau said Northern Luzon and the western portion of Central Luzon may experience moderate to strong winds and rough sea conditions, while the rest of the country will have lighter winds and relatively calm seas.
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