Habagat to keep rains over W. Visayas until Saturday – Pagasa

Western Visayas Map. INQUIRER FILES ILOILO CITY – Occasional rains will continue to affect Iloilo, Antique, Guimaras, and Negros Occidental provinces through Saturday afternoon as the southwest monsoon or habagat, enhanced by Tropical Storm Kiyapo, persists over Western Visayas, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said. In its 8 p.m. weather bulletin, Pagasa said Kiyapo was last located over the coastal waters of Calayan Island in Calayan, Cagayan as of 7 p.m. READ: Kiyapo gains strength after making landfall over Camiguin Islands Kiyapo was packing maximum sustained winds of 95 kilometers per hour (kph) and gusts of up to 130 kph, while moving west-northwestward at 25 kph. Although the storm remains far from Western Visayas, Pagasa said it continues to enhance the southwest monsoon, which is bringing persistent rains across Central and Southern Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao. Among the provinces expected to experience occasional rains until 5 p.m. Saturday are Antique, Iloilo, Guimaras, and Negros Occidental, along with Palawan and Occidental Mindoro. The rest of the Visayas, including Aklan, Capiz, Cebu, Bohol, Negros Oriental, Siquijor, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Biliran, Samar, and Eastern Samar, will have cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms due to the southwest monsoon. Pagasa warned that prolonged and at times heavy rainfall could still trigger flooding and rain-induced landslides, particularly in areas that have already been saturated by continuous rains over the past several days. Marine conditions across the Visayas are expected to remain relatively manageable, with light to moderate southwesterly winds and light to moderate seas prevailing over the region, including Palawan, the Kalayaan Islands, and Occidental Mindoro. The latest forecast comes as several areas in Western Visayas remain under flood warnings, while rescue operations, class suspensions, and sea travel restrictions continue in some provinces due to the lingering effects of the enhanced southwest monsoon. Residents are advised to stay alert, monitor updates from Pagasa and local disaster management offices, and avoid unnecessary travel in flood- and landslide-prone areas as the weather disturbance continues to affect the region. /dp