Southwest Monsoon to prevail in most parts of PH

The Southwest Monsoon (Habagat) will influence weather conditions in most parts of the country in the next 24 hours, PAGASA said in its early Friday morning forecast.

Because of Habagat, cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms will prevail over Visayas, the Bicol Region, MIMAROPA, the Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Caraga, the Davao Region, and Quezon, and partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms will occur over Metro Manila, the rest of CALABARZON, and the rest of Mindanao.

The rest of Luzon will experience localized thunderstorms.

Winds will be light to moderate, and coastal waters are expected to be slight to moderate across the country.

PAGASA is also monitoring a low pressure area and Tropical Storm Podul outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility. At 3 a.m., the LPA was located 150 km northwest of Bacnotan, La Union, or 125 km west southwest of Sinait, Ilocos Sur, while Podul was spotted 2,585 km east of extreme Northern Luzon.

Podul has maximum sustained winds of 65 km/h and gustiness of up to 80 km/h, moving west northwestward at 15 km/h.

PAGASA said the LPA ''has a high chance of developing into a tropical depression within the next 24 hours.''

Sunrise in Metro Manila will be at 5:41 a.m. —VBL, GMA Integrated News