Tropical Storm Pilandok exits PAR; parts of Luzon still face monsoon rain

MANILA, Philippines – Tropical Storm Pilandok (Krovanh) left the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) at 4:30 am on Thursday, September 3.

As of 10 am, Pilandok was already 1,050 kilometers northeast of extreme Northern Luzon, moving north at a faster 30 kilometers per hour (km/h).

The tropical storm slightly intensified, with its maximum sustained winds now at 85 km/h, with gustiness of up to 105 km/h.

Pilandok stayed far from Philippine landmass after developing inside PAR last Sunday, August 30, but it helped enhance the southwest monsoon or habagat.

It was the country’s 16th tropical cyclone for 2026, and the fifth for August, exceeding the predicted range of two to four tropical cyclones for that month.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) expects Pilandok to maintain its tropical storm category outside PAR.

Pilandok is generally heading for southern Japan, but may remain almost stationary from Friday, September 4, to Sunday, September 6. Afterwards, it could head south and move in a looping pattern over Japan’s Okinawa-Amami islands area, as a high pressure area is seen to influence its movement and push it downward.

“By Monday, September 7, it will move generally southeastward before turning northeastward by Tuesday, September 8,” added PAGASA.

Despite Pilandok’s projected track outside the PAR northern boundary in the coming days, the weather bureau has said that the tropical storm appears less likely to reenter PAR.

Meanwhile, the southwest monsoon continues to affect Luzon and the Visayas. For the next 72 hours, these areas may be the most affected by rainfall due to the southwest monsoon:

Thursday noon, September 3, to Friday noon, September 4

• Moderate to heavy rain (50-100 millimeters): Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Abra, Benguet, Zambales, Bataan, Occidental Mindoro

Friday noon, September 4, to Saturday noon, September 5

• Heavy to intense rain (100-200 mm): Occidental Mindoro
• Moderate to heavy rain (50-100 mm): Zambales, Bataan, Pampanga, Bulacan, Metro Manila, Cavite, Batangas, Oriental Mindoro, Antique

Saturday noon, September 5, to Sunday noon, September 6

• Moderate to heavy rain (50-100 mm): Zambales, Bataan, Tarlac, Pampanga, Cavite, Batangas, Occidental Mindoro

Other areas in Luzon and the Visayas not mentioned above could have isolated to scattered rain showers or thunderstorms, still because of the southwest monsoon.

Flooding and landslide threats are not yet over.

The southwest monsoon will also continue to bring strong to gale-force gusts to most of Luzon, most of the Visayas, Zamboanga del Norte, Misamis Occidental, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Oriental, Camiguin, Dinagat Islands, Davao Occidental, and Davao Oriental until Saturday, September 5.

For coastal waters, moderate to rough conditions are expected to persist in certain seaboards on Thursday.

Up to rough seas (small vessels should not venture out to sea)

• Western and southern seaboards of Batanes; western seaboard of Babuyan Islands; northern seaboard of Ilocos Norte – waves up to 4 meters high
• Remaining seaboards of Batanes and Ilocos Norte; seaboards of Ilocos Sur, La Union, and Zambales; western seaboard of Pangasinan; western and southern seaboards of Bataan; northern and western seaboards of Lubang Islands; northwestern seaboard of Occidental Mindoro – waves up to 3.5 meters high
• Remaining seaboards of Babuyan Islands; western seaboards of Cavite, Batangas, and northern Occidental Mindoro; northwestern seaboards of Calamian Islands and Kalayaan Islands – waves up to 3 meters high

Up to moderate seas (small vessels should take precautionary measures or avoid sailing, if possible)

• Seaboards of Isabela, northern Aurora, Surigao del Sur, and Davao Oriental; western seaboard of northern Palawan; remaining seaboards of Kalayaan Islands, Occidental Mindoro, and Pangasinan – waves up to 2.5 meters high
• Seaboards of Cagayan, Romblon, Cuyo Islands, Cagayancillo Islands, and Antique; southern seaboards of Quezon, Marinduque, Camarines Sur, Iloilo, and Guimaras; eastern and southern seaboards of Oriental Mindoro; western seaboard of southern Negros Occidental; remaining western seaboard of mainland Palawan; remaining seaboards of Occidental Mindoro – waves up to 2 meters high

Aside from Pilandok and the southwest monsoon, PAGASA is still monitoring Tropical Storm Obet (Saudel) and a low pressure area (LPA), both outside PAR.

Obet, the tropical cyclone prior to Pilandok, was last spotted 575 kilometers northwest of Itbayat, Batanes, as of 8 am on Thursday. It is moving west northwest or away from PAR at 20 km/h, with maximum sustained winds of 75 km/h and gustiness of up to 125 km/h.

Obet has also been enhancing the southwest monsoon.

As for the LPA, it was located 2,525 kilometers east of Northern Luzon at 8 am. So far, it is unlikely to develop into a tropical depression within 24 hours.

PAGASA estimated that two or three tropical cyclones may develop within or enter PAR in September. – Rappler.com