'Domeng' trough, habagat to bring rains Sunday

MANILA, Philippines — Rains are expected across parts of the Philippines on Sunday, May 31, due to the southwest monsoon and the trough of Typhoon Domeng.

State weather bureau PAGASA said that as of 4 a.m., the center of Domeng’s eye was estimated at 670 kilometers east of Basco, Batanes.

Domeng, which has the international name Jangmi, was packing maximum sustained winds of 120 kilometers per hour near the center and gusts of up to 150 kph. It was moving north-northwestward at 20 kph.

The state weather bureau said Domeng’s typhoon-force winds extended up to 560 kilometers from its center.

Rains over Luzon areas

Domeng’s trough is expected to bring cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms over Central Luzon, Cagayan and Isabela.

PAGASA warned residents in these areas of possible flash floods or landslides due to moderate to, at times, heavy rains.

The southwest monsoon, locally known as habagat, will bring cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms over Metro Manila, Calabarzon, the Bicol Region, Mimaropa, Western Visayas, the Negros Island Region, the Zamboanga Peninsula and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The rest of the country may experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms due to localized thunderstorms.

Habagat season begins

PAGASA announced on Saturday, May 30, that the habagat season had started in the country.

This means occasional to frequent rains and thunderstorms may be expected, particularly over the western sections of the country, according to PAGASA.