The southwest monsoon, locally known as habagat, is expected to bring persistent rains to several areas in Luzon over the next three to five days, state weather agency PAGASA reported on Wednesday, August 12.
PAGASA weather specialist Aldczar Aurelio noted that Metro Manila, the Ilocos Region, Benguet, Abra, Zambales, Bataan, Tarlac, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Palawan, Marinduque, Occidental Mindoro, and Oriental Mindoro should brace for cloudy skies accompanied by scattered rain showers and thunderstorms.
Simultaneously, weather forecasters are tracking a tropical depression situated outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).
Positioned roughly 1,980 kilometers east of Extreme Northern Luzon, the tropical system maintains maximum sustained winds of 55 km/h near its center, with gusts reaching up to 70 km/h. It is currently tracking east-northeastward at a speed of 30 km/h.
PAGASA reassures the public that the weather system poses a low probability of entering PAR or directly impacting the archipelago, as forecasts indicate it will continue to move further away.
The rest of the country can anticipate generally fair and warm weather, though brief, localized thunderstorms may still bring isolated rain showers.