‘Ester’ leaves but enhances monsoon
By Ellalyn V. Ruiz
Tropical storm “Ester” (international name “Gaemi”) has left the country’s area of responsibility but will still induce monsoon rains over most parts of Luzon.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration estimated the location of Ester at 635 kilometers north-northeast of Basco, Batanes yesterday morning, with maximum sustained winds of 60 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 90 kph and moving east-northeast at 38 kph.
Ester is expected to continue enhancing the southwest monsoon or “habagat” that will bring rains over the Ilocos region, Cordillera Administrative Region, Batanes, Babuyan Group of Islands, Tarlac, Pampanga, Bataan, and Zambales.
PAGASA warned residents in these areas of possible flooding or landslides due to moderate to occasional heavy rains.
Cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and isolated thunderstorms will affect Metro Manila, Southern Luzon, and the rest of Central Luzon. Visayas, Mindanao, and the rest of Luzon will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers due to localized thunderstorms.
Due to the surge of habagat, a gale warning remains in effect as rough to very rough seas are expected over Northern Luzon and the western section of Central Luzon, particularly over Batanes, Babuyan Group of Islands, northern coast of Cagayan, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Zambales, and Bataan.
Moderate to strong winds will prevail over the rest of the country.