The southwest monsoon, locally known as “Habagat,” is bringing heavy to intense rains in Metro Manila as well as Central and Southern Luzon provinces, state weather bureau PAGASA reported on Wednesday.
According to its 24-hour public weather forecast issued at 4:00 AM on August 28, 2024, Metro Manila, Zambales, Bataan, Tarlac, Pampanga, Cavite, Batangas, Occidental Mindoro, Palawan, and Antique are expected to experience occasional rains.
The gusty rains prompted the cities of Caloocan, Malabon, Manila and Quezon City to suspend classes at all levels in public and private schools, according to verified social media posts of their respective local governments.
PAGASA also earlier warned that the La Mesa reservoir in Quezon City is nearing its critical level due to nonstop rains. As of 4:10 a.m., it has reached 80.05 meters, according to a post on X by ScienceKonek.
“Excess flood water in La Mesa Dam will overflow if the dam elevation reaches 80.15m,” PAGASA wrote in an earlier advisory.
The weather bureau also reported that La Union, Pangasinan, Benguet, the Bicol Region, as well as the rest of Visayas, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, and Mimaropa, will have cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms, similarly caused by the southwest monsoon.
Residents in these regions are advised to remain vigilant as moderate to at times heavy rains may also trigger flash floods or landslides.
