Typhoon Carina enhances habagat, brings rains to western Luzon

Typhoon Carina (international name Gaemi), while not making landfall in the Philippines, has enhanced the Southwest Monsoon or Habagat, bringing moderate to intense rains over western Luzon, including Metro Manila.

As of Thursday morning, Carina was located near Taiwan and is moving northward at 20 km/h with maximum sustained winds of 150 km/h and gustiness of up to 250 km/h.

The habagat is forecast to bring moderate to intense rainfall over western Luzon from Thursday to Saturday.

Strong to gale-force gusts are also expected in Batanes, Babuyan Islands, the Ilocos and Cordillera regions, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, the eastern portion of Isabela, Central Luzon, Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol Region, Western Visayas, Negros Occidental, and Northern Samar until Friday.

A gale warning is in effect over the coastal waters of Batanes, Babuyan Islands, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, and northwestern Cagayan, making sea travel risky for small seacraft.

While the typhoon is less likely to directly bring heavy rainfall to the PAR boundary, it will cause rains and gusty winds in Batanes.