PAGASA: Brace for rains, floods due to ‘Isang’

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) yesterday warned of moderate to occasional heavy rains that could trigger flashfloods and landslides in Northern Luzon and Western Visayas until Tuesday, August 22, as tropical storm ‘Isang’ (international name: ‘Hato’) continues to move closer to the tip of Northern Luzon on Monday.

Batanes has been placed under Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 2.

The Babuyan group of islands under Signal No. 1, as the center of the storm, where strong winds and intense rains occur, is expected move close to the extreme Northern Luzon early today, PAGASA weather forecaster Aldczar Aurelio said.

Although Isang will not make landfall, the weather disturbance will enhance the southwest monsoon or ‘habagat’, which may bring light to moderate with occasional heavy rains over Metro Manila, Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Aurora, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Marin- duque, Romblon, Palawan, Albay, Catanduanes, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Sorsogon, Masbate, and the Visayas regions.

Meanwhile, the rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies except for isolated light to occasional heavy rains, gusty winds and lightning.

As of 4 p.m. yesterday, ‘Isang’ was spotted 170 kilometers east of Basco, Batanes with maximum sustained winds of 80 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 97 kilometers per hour.

It is moving west northwest at 15 kilometers per hour.

Aurelio said Isang will further intensify into a severe tropical storm by Tuesday morning.

Should it maintain its west-northwest track at 17 kph, it will be outside the country's area of responsibility by Wednesday or Thursday.