'Habagat' also pounded Metro Manila with intense rains August last year

MANILA, Philippines - There is no tropical cyclone directly over the Philippine land mass but like last year, the southwest monsoon or "Habagat" pounded Metro Manila and other areas in Luzon with heavy to intense rains in the month of August.

The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the southwest monsoon is affecting the whole country as it is enhanced by Tropical Storm "Maring" that is hovering over the northeastern waters of the Philippines, particularly near Batanes island.

As of 4 a.m. today, PAGASA spotted Maring at 550 kilometers east of Itbayat, Batanes with maximum sustained winds of 75 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 90 kph.

Maring is forecast to move northeast at a speed of 7 kph.

PAGASA said Maring will continue to enhance the southwest monsoon that will bring moderate to heavy rainshowers and thunderstorms over Luzon particularly over the Western section.

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The agency said heavy to torrential rains is affecting Metro Manila, Bataan, Zambales, Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Rizal, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas and Northern Quezon and most likely to continue for the next three hours while moderate to heavy rains affecting Nueva Ecija and the rest of Quezon.

"Severe flooding is expected. All are advised to take precautionary measures," it added.

In August last year, the southwest monsoon also brought torrential rains and thunderstorms for about a week in Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Central Luzon, and other areas.

The effects of the southwest monsoon in August last year left nearly 100 people dead, caused flooding, landslides and the Marikina River and creeks in Metro Manila to overflow.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said most of the deaths were recorded in Central Luzon followed by Metro Manila.

Drowning was the most common cause of death followed by landslide, electrocution, heart attack, struck by lightning, and hit by falling trees.

The number of people affected by the torrential rains and floods spawned by the southwest monsoon last year rose to about 3.45 million, with over 400,000 people inside evacuation centers.

Last year's Habagat caused damage to infrastructure and agriculture worth over P600 million.

The NDRRMC has yet to issue a report on the damage wrought by the intense rains that started this weekend.