MANILA – The risk for flooding and rain-induced landslides is rising in the Visayas as well as Mindanao's Regions X (Northern Mindanao) and XIII (Caraga) despite expected generally fair weather there this week.
Rain from some thunderstorms within the trough of a low-pressure area (LPA) east of the Visayas' Eastern Samar province can set off such hazards there, noted Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) hydrologist Rosalie Pagulayan on Monday.
"Thunderstorms may still occur even if generally fair weather is expected so communities must prepare for this possibility," she said.
Recalling a 2014 tragedy, she said rising water in the upstream portion of Madlum River in Bulacan province flowed to its waterway's downstream portion killing several students who were there on a field trip.
Weather downstream was fine at the time but it was raining upstream due to a thunderstorm so the river's water gushed down.
On Monday, PAGASA said the LPA's trough may bring cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms to the Visayas, Northern Mindanao and Caraga.
Either flash floods or landslides are possible there during moderate to at times heavy rainfall, PAGASA added.
The weather bureau located the LPA at 610 km east of Eastern Samar's Guiuan municipality as of 3 a.m. Monday.
"At present, there's small chance for the LPA to become a tropical cyclone," PAGASA weather forecaster Chris Perez said.
He said the LPA may eventually move north-northwestwards, enabling its trough to affect even southern Luzon.
PAGASA expects the southwest monsoon or "habagat" to bring scattered rain showers and thunderstorms until Tuesday (Aug. 10) over Region I (Ilocos); Batanes province and Babuyan Islands in Region 2 (Cagayan Valley); Abra and Benguet provinces in Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR); as well as Zambales and Bataan provinces in Region III (Central Luzon).
"Metro Manila and rest of the country will expect generally fair weather conditions except for isolated rain showers or thunderstorms," PAGASA said.
Generally fair weather with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms mostly during afternoons or evenings may also prevail in the country from Wednesday (Aug. 11) to Friday (Aug. 13) except in Ilocos, CAR, Cagayan Valley and Central Luzon where a weather disturbance may bring scattered rain showers and thunderstorms, it added. (PNA)
