The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) has officially declared the start of the Southwest Monsoon, or Habagat, season in the country and warned the public of heavier and more frequent rainfall.
The announcement was made on Saturday, with PAGASA saying that frequent rains are now expected, particularly over the western sections of the country.
However, the weather bureau noted that there may still be periods called monsoon breaks, during which rainfall may temporarily weaken or stop for several days or even weeks.
Meanwhile, Severe Tropical Storm Domeng was spotted approximately 980 kilometers east of Northern Luzon as of 4:00 a.m. on Saturday.
The storm carries maximum sustained winds of 95 kilometers per hour near its center and gusts of up to 115 kilometers per hour. It is moving west-northwestward at a speed of 15 kilometers per hour.
Cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms are expected over the Bicol Region, Batanes, Ilocos Norte, Apayao, Cagayan, Quezon, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Samar,
MIMAROPA, Western Visayas, Negros Island Region, Zamboanga Peninsula, SOCCSKSARGEN, BARMM, Batangas, and Lanao del Norte.
Meanwhile, Metro Manila and the rest of the country may experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.
