Tropical storm Fabian, alongside the low-pressure area (LPA) outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), are enhancing the southwest monsoon or habagat which may bring rains over Palawan within 24 hours, the state weather bureau said Sunday.
Fabian is less likely to bring heavy rainfall in the country throughout the forecast period but the enhanced southwest monsoon may bring rains also in Western Visayas and Occidental Mindoro.
“Napansin niyo na malayo ang bagyo sa ating kalupaan, hindi siya magdudulot ng pag-ulan sa ating bansa kung hindi ang southwest monsoon ay magdudulot ng pag-ulan sa malaking bahagi ng ating bansa. Itong dalawang weather system ang humihila sa habagat,” weather specialist Aldczar Aurelio of Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said.
Fabian intensified into a tropical storm on Sunday and was recently located at 1, 090 kilometers (km) east northeast of extreme northern Luzon with maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of up to 80 kph.
It is now moving towards the east northeast of extreme northern Luzon and is expected to leave the country on Tuesday morning. Further intensification is expected for the rest of the forecast period, PAGASA said.
Outside PAR, Fabian is likely to reach the typhoon category by Tuesday evening and reach a peak intensity of 140 kph before making landfall over mainland China.
While the LPA outside PAR was estimated at 630 km west of Calayan, Cagayan.
“Hindi ito inaasahan na papasok sa ating Philippine Area of Responsibility, ito ay kikilos palayo sa ating bansa, patungo sa China. Itong dalawang weather system ang humahatak sa southwest monsoon o habagat. Kaya itong southwest monsoon ay naaapektuhan ang southern Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao,” he said.
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