Large areas of the Philippines are bracing for extensive rainfall this weekend through next week as a developing tropical depression east of Mindanao is expected to pull and amplify the southwest monsoon (habagat), the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) cautioned on Wednesday, May 27.
State weather specialist Chenel Dominguez reported that as of 3:00 AM, the tropical depression was located 1,230 kilometers east of northeastern Mindanao. It currently packs maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center, with gusts reaching up to 70 kph, while tracking west-northwestward at a speed of 10 kph.
According to PAGASA’s projected path, the weather disturbance is slated to upgrade into a tropical storm before crossing into the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) by Thursday or Friday, May 28 or 29, where it will receive the local name “Domeng.”
By Saturday, May 30, meteorologists warn the system could rapidly develop into a full-blown typhoon.
“Ito po ay typhoon category, which is malakas na bagyo at meron na rin tayong prevalence ng southwesterly wind flow so inaasahan po natin ie-enhance or hihilain po ng bagyong ito ang southwest monsoon kung saan makakaranas po tayo ng mga pag-ulan starting weekend sa malaking bahagi ng bansa at posibleng magtutuloy hanggang sa susunod na linggo,” Dominguez noted. (This is under the typhoon category, which is a strong storm, and we also have the prevalence of a southwesterly wind flow, so we expect this storm to enhance or pull the southwest monsoon, through which we will experience rains starting this weekend across a large portion of the country and possibly continuing until next week).
Even before its entry, the outer peripheral clouds or trough of the tropical depression are already dumping moderate to heavy downpours over eastern Mindanao. Concurrently, the southwesterly wind flow is triggering scattered rain showers and thunderstorms across western Mindanao and Palawan.
While Luzon and the Visayas will continue to experience generally fair weather in the immediate short term, isolated thunderstorms remain highly probable during the afternoons and evenings.
Dominguez urged residents in vulnerable, hazard-prone areas to monitor advisories closely, warning that prolonged, torrential rains could trigger severe flash floods and landslides in the coming days.