Southwesterly windflow, thunderstorms to affect country

The southwesterly windflow will continue to affect the western sections of Southern Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, according to the weather bureau PAGASA on Friday.

Cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms are expected in Western Visayas, the Zamboanga Peninsula, Soccsksargen, and BARMM because of the southwesterly windflow.
 
Partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms may prevail in Metro Manila and the rest of the country due to the southwesterly windflow and localized thunderstorms.
 
Flash floods and landslides may occur, it added.
 
Meanwhile, PAGASA said Super Typhoon Mawar was last seen 1,725 kilometers east of Central Luzon at 3 p.m.
 
It was moving west-northwestward at 25 kilometers per hour (km/h) and packing maximum sustained winds of 215 km/h near the center, with gustiness of up to 265 km/h.
 
Mawar is expected to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) by Friday evening or Saturday morning and will be called “Betty.”

PAGASA weather specialist Benison Estareja said storm signals may be raised over portions of Luzon upon Mawar’s entry to PAR.

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) Number 1 may be raised over Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, and Northern Aurora as early as Saturday.

TCWS No. 3 may be hoisted over a huge portion of Northern Luzon from Sunday to Monday.

“In terms of ulan, asahan natin 'yung malakas na ulan hanggang sa minsan intense na mga pag-ulan Lunes and Martes for most of Northern Luzon at kalapit na lugar sa Central Luzon,” said Estareja in an interview on “24 Oras" on Friday.

(We may expect moderate to at times intense rains over Northern Luzon and nearby areas in Central Luzon from Monday to Tuesday.)

Mawar is expected to enhance the southwest monsoon and bring monsoon rains over Southern Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

“Based sa latest track ng PAGASA, inaasahan natin na mananatili pa rin ng ilang araw next week itong si Bagyong Betty. Maaaring Thursday or Friday pa lalabas ng ating area of responsibility,” he said.

(Based on our latest track, we expect that Super Typhoon Betty may last inside PAR for days. It may exit PAR by Thursday or Friday.)

“Pag-akyat nito ng southern islands ng Japan maaaring mag-enhance pa rin ng Habagat sa may Ilocos Region, Cordillera Region, Central Luzon and even MIMAROPA and Southern Luzon,” he added.

(It may enhance Habagat even after it moves outside PAR and towards the southern islands of Japan.)
 
Forecast winds and coastal water conditions in the eastern sections of Luzon and Visayas will be moderate, while the rest of the country will have light to moderate winds and slight to moderate coastal water conditions.

The sun will rise over Metro Manila on Saturday at 5:26 a.m. —Sundy Locus/VBL, GMA Integrated News