Tropical depression “Maring” brought moderate to heavy rains over a huge portion of Southern and Central Luzon, including Metro Manila as it made landfall over Mauban, Quezon around 9 a.m. Tuesday before passing by Southern and Central Luzon, including Metro Manila in the afternoon.
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) weather forecaster Nikos Peñaranda said Maring brought heavy rains and gusty winds in areas it has crossed including Quezon, Laguna, Rizal, and Metro Manila.
Moderate to heavy rains were felt over Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan, Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, and Zambales.
Peñaranda also warned these areas of possible flash floods and landslides. Likewise, sea travel remains risky over the coastlines of Southern Luzon.
As of 1 p.m. Tuesday, Maring was in Tanay, Rizal, and has maintained its maximum sustained winds of 60 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of up to 100 kph. It is moving west-northwest at 15 kph.
Tropical cyclone warning Signal No. 1 remains hoisted over Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, northern part of Quezon including Polilio Island, southern portion of Aurora, Camarines Norte, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Zambales, Bataan, and Pangasinan.
The concentration or peak of rainfall brought by Maring were due Tuesday over Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon as the cyclone moves across Luzon, Peñaranda said.
PAGASA rainfall monitoring stations recorded the highest 24-hour rainfall in Alabat, Quezon with 537.5 millimeters, which is almost twice its normal rainfall of 253 millimeters in September. It is followed by Ambulong, Batangas station with 273.7 millimeters, which also exceeded its normal monthly rainfall of 252 millimeters.
Several areas within the Pasig-Marikina River Basin have reached critical level due to Maring’s rains, prompting authorities to raise the first alarm in Montalban, San Mateo, Burgos, Sto. Niño, Tumana and Marcos Highway, Caringal said.
Rains will lessen significantly by Wednesday but moderate to heavy rains are still expected over the western section of Central and Northern Luzon as Maring moves towards the West Philippine Sea, Peñaranda said. (Ellalyn de Vera-Ruiz)