Tropical Depression Pilandok Maintains Strength Amid Heavy Rains in Luzon, Visayas

MANILA, Philippines — Tropical Depression Pilandok maintained its strength Tuesday as the southwest monsoon or habagat is expected to bring heavy rainfall over parts of Luzon and the western section of the Visayas, PAGASA said. In its 5 a.m. bulletin on Tuesday, September 1, the state weather bureau said Pilandok was located 1,050 kilometers east of extreme Northern Luzon. Pilandok was carrying maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour near the center, with gustiness of up to 70 kph. It was moving west-northwestward at 10 kph. Pilandok is not directly affecting the country's land areas, while the southwest monsoon continues to bring rains over Luzon and the western section of the Visayas. No tropical cyclone wind signal is currently raised over any part of the country. PAGASA said the southwest monsoon will bring strong to gale-force gusts over most of Luzon and Visayas, as well as Zamboanga del Norte, Misamis Occidental, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Oriental, Camiguin, Dinagat Islands, Davao Occidental and Davao Oriental until Thursday, September 3. PAGASA said strong to gale-force gusts are particularly possible in coastal and upland areas exposed to the winds. The state weather bureau said the southwest monsoon or habagat will continue to bring heavy rainfall over parts of Luzon through Thursday, September 3. Tuesday, September 1 Wednesday, September 2 Thursday, September 3 PAGASA said forecast rainfall may be higher in mountainous and elevated areas. The impacts in some areas may also be worsened by significant antecedent rainfall. A gale warning is in effect over the northern and western seaboards of Northern Luzon. Very rough seas with waves reaching up to 5 meters are expected over the western seaboard of the Babuyan Islands and the seaboards of Ilocos Norte. Waves of up to 4.5 meters are also forecast over the western seaboards of Batanes and Pangasinan, as well as the seaboards of Ilocos Sur and northern La Union. PAGASA warned that sea travel is risky for all types and tonnage of vessels under these conditions. Small seacraft operators, including those using motorbancas, are also advised not to venture out to sea in affected waters. PAGASA said Pilandok is forecast to slowly turn east-northeastward then northward over the next 24 hours. It will then move generally north-northwestward for the remainder of the forecast period. Pilandok is expected to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility by Wednesday evening, September 2, or Thursday morning, September 3. The tropical depression is less likely to make landfall over the Philippines and is expected to remain far from the country's landmass. Pilandok is forecast to intensify into a tropical storm within the next 12 hours and may remain a tropical storm as it moves toward southern Japan. PAGASA said that heavy rainfall and severe winds may still be experienced in areas outside Pilandok's forecast track and confidence cone.