Rains, strong winds to continue across PH Wednesday

MANILA – Typhoon Carina and the southwest monsoon ("habagat") will continue to drench and bring strong winds to most parts of the country Wednesday, the weather bureau said.

Stormy weather and gale-force winds are forecast in Batanes, currently under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 2, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in its 5 a.m. bulletin.

TCWS No. 1 has been hoisted over the Babuyan Islands, the northern portion of mainland Cagayan (Claveria, Santa Praxedes, Sanchez-Mira, Pamplona, Abulug, Ballesteros, Aparri, Camalaniugan, Buguey, Santa Teresita, Santa Ana, and Gonzaga), and the northern portion of Ilocos Norte (Burgos, Bangui, Pagudpud, Dumalneg, and Adams). Strong winds will prevail in these areas.

Rains are also forecast over the Babuyan Islands.

At 3 a.m., the center of the eye of Carina was estimated at 280 km. northeast of Itbayat, Batanes with maximum sustained winds of 155 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 190 kph. It further intensified, moving north at 25 kph.

Meanwhile, the "habagat" will bring monsoon rains over the Ilocos Region, Zambales, Bataan, Abra, Benguet, and Occidental Mindoro, and occasional rains over Metro Manila, the rest of the Cordillera region, Cavite, Batangas, Tarlac, Pampanga, Bulacan, Rizal, and Laguna.

It will also bring heavy to intense rainfall over various localities in the western portion of Luzon until Friday.

The "habagat" will also bring scattered rain showers over Western Visayas, Negros Island Region, and the rest of Luzon, and isolated rain showers over the rest of the country.

Moderate to strong winds and moderate to rough seas will prevail over Luzon and the Visayas.

Elsewhere, winds will be light to moderate with slight to moderate seas, PAGASA said. (PNA)