MANILA — The southwest monsoon or “habagat,” enhanced by Typhoon Carina, will bring more rain to most parts of the Philippines, the weather bureau reported Thursday (25 July 2024).
Carina, unlikely to directly cause heavy rainfall, was last tracked 465 km north of Itbayat, Batanes, near Hsinchu County, Taiwan. It will, however, bring rain and gusty winds to Batanes.
The typhoon has maximum sustained winds of 150 kph near the center and gusts up to 250 kph, moving northward at 20 kph.
The “habagat” will bring moderate to intense rainfall over the western portion of Luzon from Thursday to Saturday, and strong to gale-force gusts in several regions including Batanes, Babuyan Islands, Ilocos, Cordillera, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Isabela, Central Luzon, Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol Region, Western Visayas, Negros Occidental, and Northern Samar until Friday (26 july 2024).
A gale warning is in effect for the coastal waters of Batanes, Babuyan Islands, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, and northwestern Cagayan.
Sea travel is risky for small seacrafts, including motorbancas, and moderate seas are expected over several other seaboards.
Mariners of motorbancas and similarly-sized vessels are advised to take precautionary measures while venturing out to sea, PAGASA said.
(el Amigo/mnm)
