Heavy rains in Luzon

MANILA, Philippines - The western section of central and northern Luzon will continue to experience moderate to heavy rains due to the southwest monsoon which was being enhanced by a new low-pressure area off Ilocos Sur, the state weather bureau said yesterday.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said as of 4 p.m. yesterday, the low-pressure area was spotted at 420 kilometers west of Sinait, Ilocos Sur and was still outside the Philippine area of responsibility.

PAGASA weather forecaster Connie Dadivas said the new weather disturbance could enter the country near extreme northern Luzon on its way to Taiwan.

She said the low-pressure area has a good chance of intensifying into a tropical cyclone.

The next cyclone will be given the local name Florita, PAGASA said.

It said the Batanes, Calayan and Babuyan Group of Islands, the regions of Ilocos and Cordillera and the provinces of Zambales, Tarlac, Bataan, Pampanga and Bulacan will experience monsoon rains.

Metro Manila, Cagayan Valley, Calabarzon and the provinces of Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Mindoro and Palawan will have occasional rains, it said.

The rest of the country will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms.

PAGASA advised residents in these areas and the local disaster risk reduction management councils concerned to take all the necessary precautionary measures against possible flashfloods and landslides.

Meanwhile, the agency said the coastal waters of Luzon will be moderate to rough while the Visayas and Mindanao will have slight to moderate seas.