A Filipino collects sand and gravel to be used with cement to fortify homes during the typhoon season, along the banks of the Marikina River in Marikina City, east of Manila, yesterday.
MANILA: A low pressure area east of Dinagat Islands intensified into Tropical Depression Nando yesterday and is expected to enhance the southwest monsoon, bringing rains over some parts of the country, including Metro Manila, in the next few days.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said the disturbance would enhance the southwest monsoon as it moves over the country’s east coast today.
Pagasa weather division chief Robert Sawi said Nando was not expected to make landfall in any part of the country based on latest forecasts.
Sawi said the enhanced southwest monsoon started dumping moderate to heavy rains over eastern Visayas, particularly Samar and Leyte, yesterday. He warned residents in the region against possible floods and landslides.
Sawi said Luzon, including Metro Manila and the Bicol region, would also experience moderate rains beginning today until tomorrow.
Nando is the 14th tropical cyclone to enter the country this year and the fourth weather disturbance this month.
As of 4pm yesterday, Nando was spotted at 250km east of Borongan City, eastern Samar packing winds of 45 kilometers per hour near the centre.
It was forecast to move north northwest at 13 kmph.
Pagasa’s 24-hour weather forecast indicated that Metro Manila, the Calabarzon (Cavite-Laguna-Batangas-Rizal-Quezon) region, Visayas and Mindanao will have cloudy skies with light to moderate rainshowers and thunderstorms.
Pagasa advised those who plan to join today’s major rally in Manila against a scam to bring umbrellas.
The rest of Luzon, meanwhile, will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms.
Nando was predicted to be 270km east of Virac, Catanduanes this morning; 340 km east of Casiguran, Aurora tomorrow morning and 310 km northeast of Aparri, Cagayan by Wednesday morning.
Last week, the southwest monsoon, enhanced by Tropical Storm Maring, brought torrential rains that submerged most parts of Luzon, including Metro Manila, killing more than 20 people and affecting over one million.
Philippine Star
