Butchoy to bring moderate to heavy rains over Zambales, Bataan, Pampanga, and nearby provinces

Moderate to heavy with at times intense rains forecast over Zambales, Bataan, Pampanga, northern portion of Palawan including Calamian and Cuyo Islands, and Occidental Mindoro as Butchoy reaches Zambales and heads toward the West Philippine Sea, PAGASA reported in a Severe Weather Bulletin on Friday morning.

Light to moderate with at times heavy rains is expected over CALABARZON, Visayas, Caraga, Davao Region, and the rest of Luzon.

Flooding and rain-induced landslides may occur in the affected areas during heavy or prolonged rainfall especially in areas that are highly or very highly susceptible to these hazards.

The public and disaster risk reduction and management offices are advised to take appropriate measures and monitor the Rainfall or Thunderstorm Advisories or Heavy Rainfall Warnings of PAGASA Regional Services Divisions.

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 1 remains over the following areas:

• Pangasinan
• Zambales
• Bataan
• Tarlac
• Pampanga
• Nueva Ecija
• Bulacan

Areas under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1, Visayas, Southern Luzon and the western portion of Mindanao may experience occasional gusts associated with the tropical depression and the Southwest Monsoon.

Meanwhile, TCWS No. 1 over Metro Manila has been lifted.

Moderate to rough seas will be experienced over the seaboards of Luzon and Visayas. The weather bureau warned that small seacrafts should not venture out to sea while larger sea vessels must take precaution against rough seas.

Butchoy has made landfall twice over Quezon province, Polillo at 5:30 p.m. and Infanta  at 6 p.m. on Thursday.

As of 4 a.m. on Friday, the center of Tropical Depression Butchoy was estimated to be in the vicinity of San Felipe, Zambales packing maximum sustained winds of 45 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 75 kph and moving  in the west northwest direction at a speed of 15 kph. -- BAP, GMA News