Southwest Monsoon in Luzon Update 3

The Southwest Monsoon (Hanging Habagat) continues to ravage parts of Luzon. For the third straight day, much of the National Capital Region remains paralyzed as floods continue and even rise in some areas. As much as 150mm of rain was recorded last night across Manila and nearby provinces, prompting another slew of warnings from PAGASA. Malacanang has decided to suspend classes from preschool all the way to postgraduate courses in NCR, Zambales, Bataan, Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Pangasinan, Laguna, Cavite, and Rizal. Some cities, including Manila have also declared State of Calamity to hasten the release of emergency funds that will be used to help those in need.

Rains will continue today and perhaps into tomorrow. Metro Manila remains under Yellow Warning from PAGASA as more rains move in from the west. These bands of precipitation can bring as many as 30 to even 50mm of rain in just an hour. Depending on the intensity, we won't be surprised if PAGASA issues another Red Warning later today. Please continue to monitor the news on TV for the latest developments in your area.

Subic Radar from ClimateX

Latest radar from Subic shows the train of showers moving in from the west. While the coverage, intensity, and duration of these rains have all decreased compared to the past few days, these showers still have the potential to cause widespread flooding. The Southwest Monsoon has slightly weakened as Haikui starts to dissipate over Eastern China. However, we could still see rains linger into tomorrow (Friday). For more radar images and rainfall forecasts, please go to PAGASA's Project NOAH: click HERE

As for the waterways and reservoirs, the Marikina River has once again rose to record highs and is now around 20.4 meters (as high as yesterday). These prompted evacuations and warnings from the local government. Meanwhile, the image below shows the latest update from PAGASA (as of 6am) showing the status of major dams in Luzon.

Dam Update from PAGASA

While many of the dams here are showing a decrease in water level, majority are still leaving their gates open to continually release water. La Mesa Dam, which is in Quezon city, also continues to overflow with the latest water level still well above the spilling level.

Again please continue to monitor the developments in your area by tuning in to the television, radio, or the internet. If it's not necessary, don't try to go out--unless told so by officials. Always heed the warnings and evacuation orders from the government.

You can also visit Philippine Red Cross if you want to volunteer or donate for those affected by the rains. Finally, if you have images or videos to share regarding the continuous rains and floods in Luzon, feel free to share it with us via email at philippineweather@yahoo.com

We'll have another update later this afternoon. Stay safe!
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Issued (00 UTC) 8am PhT 080912