Rough seas due to monsoon — Pagasa

MANILA, Philippines — The state weather bureau has warned fishermen against venturing into the seas in Northern and Central Luzon until today as they may encounter big waves due to the surge of the southwest monsoon.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said waves as high as 4.5 meters would affect coastal areas in Batanes, Babuyan, Calayan, Cagayan, Isabela, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Zambales, Bataan and Aurora. 

“Fishing boats and other small seacraft are advised not to venture into the sea while larger vessels are alerted against big waves,” PAGASA said. 

The southwest monsoon will continue to bring cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms over Ilocos, the Cordilleras, Cagayan Valley, Zambales and Bataan, it saidd. 

PAGASA warned residents to brace for possible flashfloods or landslides. 

Metro Manila and the rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rains. 

PAGASA weather forecaster Meno Mendoza said no tropical cyclone is expected to enter the country in the next three days. 

Cordillera rains

Meanwhile, the unusually heavy rains in the Cordilleras has left one person dead.

Police said Wilson Batang-e died when his Mitsubishi Delica plunged into a ravine 500 meters deep in Ifugao on Tuesday due to slippery and poorly visible roads.

In Benguet, rescuers evacuated two families whose houses in Barangay Abiong, La Trinidad were hit by a landslide on Tuesday.

A family of seven were rescued after their car was submerged in floodwaters along the Kalinga-Abra road in Barangay Gacbab in Malibcong, Abra.

Motorists were advised to consider the weather when going on road trips. – Raymund Catindig, Artemio Dumlao