Karen enhances southwest monsoon, continues to bring rains

MANILA -- Luzon and Visayas will experience rains as Typhoon Karen (international codename: Sanba) continued to enhance the southwest monsoon, said the state weather bureau on Friday.

The typhoon, estimated at 720 kilometers east of Basco, Batanes as of 11 p.m. Friday, packed maximum sustained winds of 185 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 220 kph, said the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).

Pagasa has not raised any storm signal as Karen is too far to directly affect the country, said forecaster Aldczar Aurelio.

But he said that Karen, although not expected to make a landfall in any part of the country, will continue to enhance the southwest monsoon that will bring occasional moderate to heavy rains over Central Luzon, Metro Manila, Bicol Region, Calabarzon, and Mimaropa.

Pagasa warned residents in these areas to be alert against possible flashfloods and landslides.

Track of Typhoon Karen as of 8 p.m. Friday, September 14, 2012 (Source: Pagasa website)

The weather bureau said Karen’s estimated rainfall amount is from 15 to 30 mm per hour within its 550 kilometers diameter. This rainfall amount is considered intense.

Also, while Karen is moving northward over the Philippine Sea, the Visayas and Northern Luzon will be cloudy with scattered light to moderate rains, while Mindanao will have partly cloudy skies with isolated rains or thunderstorms in the evening, the weather bureau added.

Pagasa said Metro Manila will be cloudy with occasionally moderate to heavy rains and thunderstorms. Manila Bay will be moderate to rough.

Moderate to strong winds from the northeast to northwest will prevail over Northern Luzon while the rest of the country will experience southwesterly wind.

The coastal waters throughout the archipelago will be moderate to rough.

Fishing boats and other small sea crafts are advised not to venture out over the northern and eastern seaboards of Northern Luzon, eastern seaboard of Central Luzon, seaboards of Southern Luzon, and over the eastern seaboard of Visayas due to big waves generated by Karen.

As of 11 p.m. Friday, the typhoon is moving north at 15 kph and will traverse the east Philippine Sea on its way to southern Japan, said Pagasa. It is expected to leave the Philippine territory by Saturday evening or Sunday morning. (PNA/Sunnex)