'Ester' exits PAR but habagat rains to persist

Upgrade to High-Speed Internet for only ₱1499/month!

Enjoy up to 100 Mbps fiber broadband, perfect for browsing, streaming, and gaming.

Visit Suniway.ph to learn

MANILA, Philippines — Tropical Depression “Ester” has exited the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) and is now outside the country’s monitoring domain as of 8 a.m. Saturday, June 6, the state weather bureau PAGASA said.

The center of Ester was last spotted at 540 kilometers north northwest of Itbayat, Batanes, with maximum sustained winds of 45 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 55 kph. It was moving east northeast at 20 kph.

As of 5 a.m., PAGASA has lifted the wind signal over parts of Batanes as Ester continued moving northeastward away from the Philippine landmass.

Heavy rainfall. PAGASA said rainfall from the enhanced southwest monsoon may trigger flooding and landslides in several parts of Luzon.

Forecast rainfall levels from Saturday until Monday noon (June 9) show 50–100 millimeters over Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan and Zambales, where localized flooding is possible in urbanized, low-lying and river-adjacent areas, with landslides possible in highly susceptible areas.

From Saturday to tomorrow noon (June 7) and until Monday to Tuesday noon (June 9), PAGASA said no widespread heavy rainfall of 100–200 mm and above 200 mm is expected in the affected regions, but moderate rainfall may still persist depending on localized monsoon activity.

Strong winds. Although no wind signal is in effect, PAGASA said the southwest monsoon or “habagat” will continue to bring strong to gale-force gusts over several areas of Luzon:

• Saturday, June 6: Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region and Cagayan Valley
• Sunday, June 7: Batanes and Babuyan Islands

Sea conditions. Rough seas of up to 3.5 meters are expected over the seaboards of Batanes, while waves of up to 3 meters may affect Babuyan Islands and portions of northern Luzon. Moderate to rough seas will also persist over several coastal waters in Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Zambales, Bataan, Cavite, Batangas and Occidental Mindoro.

Mariners of small seacraft, including motorbancas, were advised not to venture out to sea in affected waters due to hazardous sea conditions.

Track, intensity. PAGASA said Ester is forecast to continue moving generally northeastward and may fully exit PAR this morning before becoming a post-tropical low by June 7. It is expected to traverse Taiwan and move toward the East China Sea.

Despite its exit, PAGASA reminded the public that heavy rainfall and severe winds may still be experienced in areas outside the forecast cone due to the enhanced southwest monsoon.