Southwest Monsoon to prevail, bring heavy rains

The Southwest Monsoon (Habagat) will continue to affect the country on Sunday and bring rains, PAGASA said in its weather forecast.

Pangasinan, Zambales, Bataan, Cavite, Batangas, and Occidental Mindoro will have monsoon rains. Floods or landslides may possibly result due to heavy to intense rains.

The above-mentioned areas may also expect 100 to 200 mm of rainfall today, according to PAGASA's rainfall outlook for July 20.

Metro Manila, Benguet, Tarlac, Pampanga, Bulacan, Laguna, Rizal, Oriental Mindoro, and the rest of Ilocos Region meanwhile may expect occasional rains. Moderate to heavy rains may possibly cause floods or landslides.

Around 50 to 100 of rainfall is expected to fall on Metro Manila, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Benguet, Tarlac, Pampanga, Bulacan, Laguna, Rizal, and Oriental Mindoro today, PAGASA said.

Visayas, the rest of Luzon, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, and Caraga will experience cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms. Flash floods or landslides may occur due to moderate to at times heavy rains.

The rest of Mindanao on the other hand will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms. During severe thunderstorms, flash floods or landslides may result.

Coastal waters will be rough in the northern and western sections of Luzon, and moderate t—o rough in the rest of Luzon.

Visayas and Mindanao, meanwhile, will have slight to moderate coastal waters.

Sunrise was at 5:36 a.m. while sunset will be at 6:29 p.m.

Meanwhile, Severe Tropical Storm Wipha (formerly named Crising when it was inside the Philippine Area of Responsibility) was located at 3 a.m. at 655 km west of Itbayat, Batanes.

Wipha has maximum sustained winds of 100 km/h near the center and with gustiness of up to 125 km/h.

The severe tropical storm is moving west northwestward at 30 km/h. —KG, GMA Integrated News