MANILA, Philippines — Tropical Storm Isang (international name Omais) left the Philippine area of responsibility yesterday afternoon, but the Visayas and Mindanao would continue to experience rains and thunderstorms due to the southwest monsoon, the state weather bureau said.
In its weather bulletin issued at 4 p.m. Sunday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Isang was at 605 kilometers northeast of Itbayat, Batanes with maximum sustained winds of 85 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 105 kph. Isang was seen moving north-northwestward at 15 kph.
Based on its track, Isang would be at 1,255 kms north-northeast of extreme Northern Luzon by 2 p.m. today, PAGASA said.
Meanwhile, weather agency said southwest monsoon or habagat would persist over the Visayas and Mindanao causing cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms especially in Western Visayas, Zamboanga peninsula, Palawan and Occidental Mindoro.
PAGASA warned that flash floods or landslides are possible during severe thunderstorms.
Metro Manila and the rest of the country would be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rain showers and thunderstorms, especially in the afternoon or evening, it said.
Thunderstorms may last for 30 minutes to two hours, PAGASA senior weather specialist Chris Perez said.
No gale warning was up in any part of the country but Perez said small and medium fishing boats that would sail in the western seaboards of Southern Luzon and Visayas must take extra precaution due to the persisting monsoon rains and thunderstorms.