While things remain relatively warm and sunny in most of the Philippines, Mother Nature is starting to flex her meteorological muscles again and reminding us that this month of June is perceived as the traditional starting point of the Rainy Season. And this latest demonstration of Nature’s power might be very strong indeed. In June 4, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) noticed a low-pressure area due northwest of Palau. It had just transformed into a tropical depression, and by the time in entered the country’s Area of Responsibility, was named Domeng. The Monsoon rains are coming.
CNN Philippines reports that PAGASA has projected some interaction between tropical depression Domeng and the southwest monsoon now beginning to build up. They predict that Domeng’s course will intensify the monsoon winds and will lead to rainy weather for days on end at some parts of the Philippines, even providing the rainfall needed to officially declare the beginning of Rainy Season. Domeng has been plotted as of June 7 to be 835 kilometers East of Casiguran, Aurora Province. Its last record of 45 km/h maximum sustained winds and 60 km/h gustiness has strengthened itself 55 km/h and 65 km/h respectively.
PAGASA forecaster Obet Badrina is fully expecting the weather bureau to declare the Rainy Season before the week is out. While the prospect of heavy rains is not welcome on the first week of school, there is at least good news in the fact that Domeng will most likely not hit the country directly according to Badrina. He does note in the report that the close proximity of the depression to the western parts of the Philippines will still see moderate to heavy rains hitting the MIMAROPA and Western Visayas regions starting right this Thursday, thanks to pulling the monsoon.
In addition, Badrina’s fellow forecaster Nikos Peñaranda also projects that this day the Bicol Region is due to experience the same level of continuous rainfall, and that by Friday June 8, winds brought by Domeng, if not Domeng itself, will visit some wet weather on the nation’s capital Metro Manila. The tropical depression of focus is currently moving in a north by northwesterly direction at a speed of 15km/h, and PAGASA predicts Domeng being gone from the PAR the evening of Sunday, June 10. Before then however, the mentioned areas above are advised to prepare for a very rainy weekend.
Meanwhile, the weather bureau is also monitoring Tropical Storm “Ewiniar” (international name), boasting 65 km/ maximum sustained winds and 80 km/h gustiness. It is however, already 1075 km west of Basco, Batanes and moving further away, so PAGASA is confident that this stronger weather disturbance will not bother the country.
Satellite Image courtesy of PAGASA
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