Habagat triggers expanded red rainfall warning in Western Visayas

Western Visayas Map. INQUIRER FILES ILOILO CITY — The southwest monsoon (habagat) continued to dump heavy rains across Western Visayas on Friday, prompting the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) to expand areas under its heavy rainfall warning as flooding worsened in parts of Iloilo and Antique. In Heavy Rainfall Warning No. 5 issued at 2 p.m. on Friday, July 24, Pagasa retained Guimaras under red warning and added Leganes in Iloilo to the list of localities where serious flooding is expected in low-lying areas and landslides may occur in mountainous terrain. Also under the red warning were the Antique towns of Hamtic, Tobias Fornier and Anini-y; the Iloilo localities of San Joaquin, Miagao, Guimbal, Tigbauan, Oton, Iloilo City, Dumangas, Zarraga and Leganes; and the Negros Occidental areas of Hinoba-an, Sipalay City, Candoni, Cauayan, Ilog and Kabankalan City. Article continues after this advertisement READ: 16 Iloilo LGUs suspend classes as habagat rains intensify across Panay The latest advisory came as rescue and evacuation operations were already underway in flooded communities in Antique and Iloilo, while several municipalities in Iloilo suspended face-to-face classes because of persistent heavy rains and rising floodwaters. Pagasa also placed additional areas under orange warning, where flooding is considered threatening and landslides remain possible. These include the Antique towns of San Jose, Belison, Sibalom, San Remigio and Patnongon, and the Iloilo municipalities of Igbaras, Tubungan, Leon, Alimodian, San Miguel, Pavia, Santa Barbara, New Lucena, Cabatuan, Pototan, Banate, Anilao and Barotac Nuevo. Meanwhile, yellow warning was raised over the Iloilo municipalities of Barotac Viejo, Mina, Dingle, Maasin, Janiuay and Badiangan, indicating that flooding remains possible in low-lying communities, along with landslides in vulnerable mountainous areas. Portions of Antique, Negros Occidental and Palawan were also under the same warning level. Pagasa said light to moderate, with at times heavy, rains were expected within the next two to three hours over northern Iloilo, including Carles, Balasan, Estancia and Batad, as well as parts of Antique, Aklan, Capiz, Negros Occidental and Palawan. Article continues after this advertisement At the same time, rains were already affecting several other areas, including the Iloilo municipalities of Ajuy, Concepcion, San Dionisio, Sara, Lemery, Lambunao, Dueñas, Passi City, San Enrique, San Rafael, Bingawan and Calinog, where the weather conditions could persist for another two to three hours and spread to nearby localities. Pagasa urged residents, local government units and disaster risk reduction and management offices in affected areas to closely monitor weather updates and remain alert for possible flash floods, river flooding and rain-induced landslides as the enhanced southwest monsoon continues to affect Western Visayas. INQ /mr Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again. Your subscription has been successful.