Monsoon continues to bring rains

MANILA, Philippines — Monsoon rains will persist in most parts of the country even as Typhoon Fabian moves slowly north-westward until it exits the Philippine area of responsibility either tonight or tomorrow morning.

Fabian (international name In-fa) was forecast to further intensify and reach its peak last night, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said.

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 was hoisted over Batanes and Babuyan Islands yesterday.

While Fabian is unlikely to directly bring heavy rainfall in the country, it will continue to enhance the southwest monsoon, PAGASA said.

Monsoon rains are expected in Abra, Bataan, Batangas, Benguet, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Pampanga, Rizal, Tarlac and Zambales as well as in Ilocos region, Metro Manila and Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan).

At 3 p.m. yesterday, Fabian was spotted 505 kilometers northeast of Itbayat, Batanes with maximum sustained winds of 150 kilometer per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 185 kph.

PAGASA warned of possible flash floods and landslides during moderate to at times heavy rains.

Fabian and the monsoon will also bring rough to very rough seas over the seaboards of Luzon.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said at least 700 individuals have undertaken pre-emptive evacuation in the Cordilleras, Western Visayas and Mimaropa.

Over 130 families sought shelter in evacuation centers in this area, the NDRRMC said.

MM still flooded

Several areas in Metro Manila remained under water for the second straight day Thursday following heavy rains spawned by Fabian.

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said there were floods on EDSA, particularly along the northbound lane of the EDSA Shrine, northbound of EDSA Ortigas, southbound of EDSA-POEA and the tunnel at Pasong Tamo.

Several areas in the cities of Malabon, Marikina and Parañaque were inundated.

The local government of Muntinlupa reported that some roads in the city were impassable.

Meanwhile, road systems in the Cordilleras perennially wrought by landslides during heavy rain are bearing the brunt of the bad weather in the past days.

The Benguet-Nueva Vizcaya Road was closed to traffic yesterday after a landslide occurred in Barangay Loacan, Itogon, Benguet. – Ralph Edwin Villanueva, Artemio Dumlao