State weather agency PAGASA reported on Tuesday, August 18, that it is currently tracking two low-pressure areas (LPAs), with one showing a strong likelihood of intensifying into a tropical depression within 24 hours while the southwest monsoon (Habagat) continues to trigger downpours across parts of Luzon and Visayas.
The first weather system, designated as LPA 08f, was spotted 1,115 kilometers east-northeast of Northern Luzon inside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) during an early morning update. Should it develop into a tropical depression while remaining inside PAR, it will officially receive the local name “Neneng”.
Meanwhile, a second disturbance labeled LPA 08g was situated 295 kilometers west-northwest of Laoag City, outside the country’s monitoring boundary. PAGASA indicated that while LPA 08g carries a moderate chance of becoming a tropical depression within the next 24 hours, it is anticipated to drift away from the landmass without entering PAR.
Concurrently, the Habagat is driving substantial rainfall across extensive regions, particularly affecting the western flanks of Luzon and Visayas, as well as Metro Manila. Monsoon rains are slated to persist over Benguet, La Union, Pangasinan, Zambales, Bataan, Cavite, Batangas, and Occidental Mindoro.
Lighter, intermittent rains are expected over Metro Manila, Abra, Ilocos Sur, Tarlac, Pampanga, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Laguna, Rizal, and Oriental Mindoro.
Weather forecasters warned that expected rainfall accumulations reaching 100 to 200 millimeters in western coastal and mountain provinces pose significant risks of flash floods in low-lying urban areas and river basins, alongside landslides in rain-soaked terrain.
Secondary rainfall levels of 50 to 100 millimeters across neighboring inland provinces could also trigger localized flooding.
In Visayas, intermittent precipitation will affect Antique, while the broader Western Visayas region and Negros Island can expect cloudy skies with scattered thunderstorms. The remaining areas of Visayas and Mindanao are anticipated to see generally fair to partly cloudy conditions punctuated by isolated localized thunderstorms.
No gale warnings are currently active, though sea travelers operating off Northern Luzon’s northern and western coasts and Mindanao’s eastern seaboard are urged to remain cautious due to moderate-to-rough sea conditions.