The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Thursday that it is monitoring two tropical cyclones (TCs) outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).

According to Assistant Weather Services Chief and Spokesperson Chris Perez, the two TCs have international names “Ampil” and “Wukong,” which are currently located in the ocean in the eastern part of Japan.

He, however, said that the two are at present far from the Philippine landmass and are not affecting the country.

“In terms of direct effect, we have no expected effect. But it will continue to influence the southwest monsoon (habagat), which is currently affecting the Northern Luzon area,” he said in a televised interview.

Habagat is seen to bring cloudy skies and rain to the Ilocos Region, Batanes, and Babuyan Islands in the next few days; thus, residents in these areas are advised to be alert for possible hazards such as flooding and landslides.

“In the next three to five days, we expect that it is still possible for the southeast monsoon to affect the northern Luzon area,” Perez added.

La Niña update

Meantime, Perez said the looming La Niña may manifest in different parts of our country in the second half of this year, particularly in the last quarter.

He added that possibly near-normal to above-normal rainfall conditions in most parts of our country may also prevail in the first quarter of 2025.