Southwest monsoon to bring rains to south Luzon, Visayas, parts of Mindanao

The southwest monsoon will be affecting southern Luzon, the Visayas and parts of Mindanao, PAGASA reported in its early morning forecast.

As of 3 a.m., the center of Tropical Depression Marilyn was estimated at 1,150 kilometers east of Basco, Batanes packing maximum winds of 55 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of 70 kph and moving in the north-northeast direction at a speed of 10 kph.

Marilyn has no direct effect in any part of the country.

However, Marilyn is pulling the southwest monsoon or habagat that brings rains to southern Luzon, the Visayas and parts of Mindanao.

Marilyn will be out of the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) by Sunday. However, the Tropical Depression may return to the PAR moving near extreme northern Luzon. But Marilyn is expected to remain a Tropical Depression and not gain strength.

Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, MIMAROPA, Bicol Region, and the provinces of Aurora and Quezon will have cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms due to the southwest monsoon.

Metro Manila and the rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers brought about by localized thunderstorms.

The forecast wind speed for central and southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao is moderate to strong moving southwestward while moderate to rough.

The forecast wind speed for northern Luzon is moderate to strong moving in the northeast to northwest direction while coastal waters will remain moderate to rough. — BAP, GMA News