The southwest monsoon, locally known as habagat, will continue bringing scattered rainfall to portions of Luzon on Friday, August 21, while the rest of the Philippines can anticipate mostly fair weather, according to state weather bureau PAGASA.
In its 5:00 AM bulletin, PAGASA stated that the monsoon is impacting Batanes, Cagayan, Apayao, Abra, Ilocos Norte, and Ilocos Sur, bringing partly cloudy to cloudy skies alongside light to moderate rains.
Most of the archipelago will experience pleasant conditions, though localized afternoon or evening thunderstorms remain possible.
”Ngayong araw, inaasahan natin mapapansin niyo, halos walang masyadong kaulapan dito sa ating bansa. Kaya po, generally, fair weather sa malaking bahagi ng ating kapuluan,” explained PAGASA weather specialist Obet Badrina.
Forecasters noted that the current weak habagat activity will persist through Saturday, August 22.
Meanwhile, Low Pressure Area (LPA) 08F—formerly Tropical Depression “Neneng”—has weakened outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) near Taiwan and no longer poses a threat to the country.
PAGASA is also tracking two other weather systems outside the PAR:
- LPA 08H: Positioned 1,700 kilometers east of Mindanao, this system has a moderate chance of developing into a tropical depression within 24 hours. However, it is unlikely to enter the PAR or directly impact local conditions.
- Severe Tropical Storm Saudel: Located 2,735 kilometers east of Southeastern Luzon, Saudel packs maximum sustained winds of 95 km/h and gusts up to 115 km/h, moving north-northwest at 25 km/h.
Saudel is projected to enter the PAR between Sunday and Monday, at which point it will be assigned the domestic name “Obet.” Its entry is expected to re-strengthen the habagat from Sunday through Tuesday, potentially bringing renewed cloudiness and rain showers back to northern Luzon, while the rest of the country maintains generally fair weather punctuated by localized thunderstorms.
No gale warnings are currently in effect, meaning sea conditions remain safe for maritime travel. Nevertheless, PAGASA advises the public and mariners to stay updated as Saudel approaches the region.