LIVE UPDATES: Habagat rains affect parts of PH on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026

Another low-pressure area has developed into a tropical depression, state weather bureau PAGASA said Tuesday evening.

As of 8 p.m., the tropical cyclone was located 520 kilometers west of Calayan, Cagayan, outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).

It had maximum sustained winds of 45 km/h near the center and gustiness of up to 55 km/h, while moving westward at 10 km/h.

Earlier, PAGASA announced the formation of Tropical Depression Neneng over the waters east of the country.

Neneng was located 775 kilometers east of Extreme Northern Luzon as of 8 p.m. and was not expected to make landfall.

It was also packing maximum sustained winds of 45 km/h and gustiness of up to 55 km/h, while moving westward at 25 km/h.

Malacañang on Tuesday instructed schools and government offices in the National Capital Region and other areas affected by the Southwest Monsoon or Habagat to shift to alternative work arrangements on Wednesday, August 19.

In Memorandum Circular 129, Executive Secretary Ralph Recto said that the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council recommended the alternate work setup as continuous heavy rainfall was expected.

“Unless otherwise directed by their respective Local Chief Executives, alternative learning modes for classes and learning continuity measures at all levels in public and private schools shall be implemented in the aforementioned areas,” Recto wrote.

The memo covers schools and government offices in the following areas:

• National Capital Region (Metro Manila)
• Abra
• Benguet
• Ilocos Sur
• La Union
• Pangasinan
• Bataan
• Bulacan
• Nueva Ecija
• Pampanga
• Tarlac
• Zambales
• Batangas
• Cavite
• Laguna
• Rizal
• Occidental Mindoro
• Oriental Mindoro

School suspensions will be left to local chief executives, the memo added.

The Palace said that agencies involved in the delivery of basic health services and disaster response must continue operations.

Meanwhile, contract of service and job order workers shall be paid their corresponding wages, the memorandum said.

The suspension of work in private firms will be left to their respective management heads.
 

The low-pressure area (LPA) inside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) has developed into Tropical Depression Neneng, the state weather bureau PAGASA said Tuesday.

As of 3 p.m., the center of Neneng was estimated at 1,025 kilometers east of Extreme Northern Luzon.

It was packing maximum sustained winds of 45 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 55 kph. Neneng was moving northwestward at 20 kph.

PAGASA said the southwest monsoon, or Habagat, was affecting Luzon and the Visayas.

Outside the PAR, PAGASA was also monitoring another tropical depression. It was located 3,160 kilometers east of Northeastern Mindanao, with maximum sustained winds of 45 kph and gustiness of up to 55 kph.

Meanwhile, another LPA (08g) being monitored outside the PAR was located 450 kilometers west of Calayan, Cagayan, and has a high chance of developing into a tropical depression within the next 24 hours, according to PAGASA.

Habagat rains in Luzon, Visayas

The southwest monsoon, or Habagat, is forecast to affect parts of Luzon and the Visayas on Wednesday, August 19, 2026.

Monsoon rains are expected over Zambales, Bataan, Cavite, Batangas, Occidental Mindoro, and Oriental Mindoro.

Occasional rains are expected over Metro Manila, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Abra, Benguet, Tarlac, Pampanga, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Laguna, Rizal, and Antique.

The Habagat is also forecast to bring cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms over the Negros Island Region and the rest of Luzon and Western Visayas.

Meanwhile, partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms are expected over the rest of the Visayas due to the Habagat.

In Mindanao, localized thunderstorms are expected to bring partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.

Moderate to strong winds and moderate to rough coastal waters are expected in parts of Luzon and Mindanao, with waves reaching 1.5 to 2.8 meters in the eastern section of Mindanao and 1.5 to 3.0 meters in the western and southern sections of Luzon.

Light to moderate winds and slight to moderate coastal waters are expected in the rest of the country, with waves reaching 0.6 to 2.5 meters.

At the PAGASA Science Garden weather station in Diliman, Quezon City, the highest temperature recorded on Tuesday reached 28.3 degrees Celsius at 1 p.m., while the lowest was 24.6 degrees Celsius at 5 a.m.

Sunrise in Metro Manila on Wednesday is at 5:43 a.m.