The country will continue to be under the influence of the southwest monsoon being enhanced by Typhoon “Lekima” (formerly Typhoon “Hanna”), the state weather bureau said.
Heavy rains that started early Friday morning led Malacañang to suspend afternoon work in government, public and private schools in Metro Manila owing to the continuing inclement weather.
The work suspension order took effect at 3 p.m., according to Memorandum Circular No. 64 signed by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea.
Meanwhile, light to moderate with at times heavy rain could be expected over Metro Manila, the Ilocos Region, the Cordillera Administrative Region, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, the Batanes and Babuyan Islands, the Mindoro Provinces, and Palawan.
Residents in these areas were advised to take precautionary measures against possible flashfloods in low-lying areas and landslides over mountainous areas, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration added.
The southwest monsoon would also bring cloudy conditions accompanied with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms over the Western Visayas and the rest of Luzon, with partly cloudy to cloudy conditions with isolated rainshowers and thunderstorms expected across the rest of the country, PAGASA said.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council also said the typhoon-enhanced southwest monsoon has so far affected 18,045 families or 72,802 persons in several regions.
The latest update from the NDRRMC said the affected families are in Regions I, III, and Mimaropa. In these regions, 16 houses were damaged, and around 553 families or 2,377 persons are being aided inside and outside 24 evacuation centers. PNA
NDRRMC added that some P1.6 million worth of assistance has been provided to the affected families. A total of 2,335 individuals, 317 rolling cargoes, 36 vessels, and 20 motorbancas were reported stranded in Region IV-A, Region IV-B, and Regions V and VII.”Hanna” is now outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility but heavy rains will continue, PAGASA said in its latest severe weather bulletin.