PERSISTENT rains from the southwest monsoon, locally known as habagat, will continue to drench key regions across Luzon and the Visayas through midweek, state weather agency PAGASA warned on Sunday, Aug. 9.
According to PAGASA weather specialists Charmagne Varilla and Aldczar Aurelio, the intensified monsoon is driven by several weather disturbances active outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).
Typhoon Dolphin, moving toward southern China, and Tropical Storm Peilou—located over 2,000 kilometers east of extreme Northern Luzon—are both helping pull the monsoon current toward the country.
Although Peilou and two other distant tropical depressions have a very low chance of entering PAR, their interaction with the habagat will sustain moderate to torrential rainfall across vast stretches of Northern and Central Luzon, Southern Tagalog, and parts of the Visayas until at least Wednesday, Aug. 12.
The heavy downpours have already triggered widespread flooding across Metro Manila.
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) reported knee-deep floodwaters along key thoroughfares in Las Piñas, including the Alabang-Zapote Junction and Marcos Alvarez Road, rendering them impassable to light vehicles.
Major corridors in Parañaque, Malabon, Quezon City, and Manila also experienced gutter- to half-tire-deep floods, forcing the temporary closure of the southbound lane on Dr. A. Santos Avenue.
MMDA personnel have been deployed to clear clogged drainage systems and clear debris as urban waterways face immense pressure from high-volume runoff.
PAGASA warns that northern regions face the heaviest rainfall volumes over the next 48 hours.
Benguet and Ilocos Sur are projected to receive over 200 millimeters of intense to torrential rains, while heavy to intense rainfall ranging from 100 to 200 millimeters will persist across La Union, Abra, Zambales, Bataan, Metro Manila, Cavite, Batangas, and Occidental Mindoro.
Disaster management officials urge residents in low-lying, flood-prone communities and mountainous zones to stay vigilant.
With soil saturation reaching critical levels from continuous precipitation, the risk of sudden flash floods and rain-induced landslides remains extremely high throughout the coming days.
