PAGASA officially declares start of rainy season in PH

Filipinos should now bring out their umbrellas and wear their raincoats as rainy season officially begun in the Philippines, according to a state weather bureau PAGASA on Friday, June 8. (Photo by John Galeos Sy/Flickr, CC BY 2.0)

Filipinos should now bring out their umbrellas and wear their raincoats as the rainy season has officially begun in the Philippines, according to a state weather bureau PAGASA on Friday, June 8.

“Nagsimula na po ang panahon ng tag-ulan dito sa ating bansa. Na-satisfy na po ‘yung criteria ng rainfall sa mga Type 1 climate station kung kaya’t opisyal nang dineklara ng PAGASA na simula na ng tag-ulan sa ating bansa (The rainy season in our country has begun. The criteria in Type 1 climate stations have been satisfied that is why PAGASA officially declared the start of the rainy season in our country),” DOST-PAGASA Senior Weather Specialist Cris Perez said in a Facebook Live video.

PAGASA’s weather bulletin issued at 11 a.m. on Friday stated that tropical storm Domeng is expected to intensify the Southwest Monsoon or Habagat, which might bring monsoon rains over Metro Manila and the rest of western sections of Luzon and Visayas this weekend.

It added that the combined effects of Domeng and Habagat will also bring “moderate to occasional heavy rains” over Aurora in Bataan, and the regions of Bicol, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, and Western Visayas. Scattered rain showers, meanwhile, will prevail over Luzon and Visayas today.

While saying that Domeng is unlikely to make landfall, the bureau still advised residents of those mentioned areas to be more careful and alert.

“Yung mga residente po ng mga nabanggit na lugar ay pinapayuhan ngang patuloy na maging alerto sa mga posibleng pagbaha at pagguho ng lupa (Residents of those mentioned places are advised to remain alert to possible flash floods and landslides) and cooperate with your local Disaster Risk Reduction Management (DRRM) offices,” Perez said.

Fishermen and those who have small seacrafts are also advised not to venture out into the eastern seaboard of Central and Southern Luzon and of the Visayas, and the western seaboard of Southern Luzon.

“Bagamat malayo ‘yung bagyo sa kalupaan ng ating bansa, yung pinagibayong habagat ay magdudulot ng maalon hanggang sa napakaalong mga karagatan (Even though the tropical storm is far from the land area of our country, the intensified Southwest Monsoon will cause moderate to powerful waves in the seas),” Perez warned.

As of 10 a.m. today, Domeng is at 655 km East of Tuguegarao City, Cagayan, with maximum sustained winds of up to 65 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 8- kph.