Monsoon Onslaught Continues: PAGASA Warns of More Deluge Across Metro Manila and Luzon

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The skies have yet to offer mercy.

As Metro Manila and large swaths of Luzon reel from days of relentless downpour, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) issued a sobering declaration on the morning of July 22: the worst may not be over. With swollen rivers, flooded communities, and paralyzed urban centers already straining under the monsoon’s weight, new threats loom on the horizon.

According to PAGASA, the southwest monsoon—or habagat—is far from finished soaking the nation. Fueled by a brewing storm system in the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), the rains are expected to intensify and persist until at least Thursday, July 24.

What began as seasonal showers has now evolved into a prolonged weather crisis with life-threatening consequences.

Relentless Rain, Mounting Risks

The forecast is grim.

July 22 (Tuesday):

Metro Manila, Zambales, Bataan, Pampanga, Bulacan, Cavite, Batangas, Rizal, and Occidental Mindoro will bear the brunt of heavy to intense rainfall, with amounts ranging from 100 to 200 millimeters—enough to submerge streets, cut off communities, and destabilize hillsides.

Neighboring provinces like Pangasinan, Tarlac, Laguna, and Quezon will also experience moderate to heavy rains.

July 23 (Wednesday):

The deluge continues to spread, covering not only the previous day’s provinces but now reaching the Ilocos Region, Bicol, Western Visayas, and parts of Mimaropa. A massive swath of the country will be drenched, as rainfall totals threaten to trigger widespread flooding and dangerous landslides.

July 24 (Thursday):

The monsoon’s wrath shifts further north, placing Ilocos Norte, La Union, Pangasinan, Abra, and Benguet under high alert. Even as rainfall slightly weakens in Metro Manila, hazards remain with saturated ground and overwhelmed drainage systems unable to cope.

Double Threat: Two LPAs Brewing

PAGASA is also tracking two low pressure areas (LPAs) that could strengthen into tropical depressions—adding even more fury to the monsoon’s rampage.

The first LPA, spotted 1,140 kilometers east of Central Luzon, is already given a high chance of becoming a tropical depression within 24 hours.

The second LPA, 370 kilometers east of Calayan, Cagayan, has a medium chance of development but is already affecting Cagayan Valley with scattered thunderstorms.

Should either LPA intensify into a tropical cyclone, it may not make direct landfall, but it will amplify the southwest monsoon, according to PAGASA Weather Specialist Obet Badrina. The next named storm in the Philippine cyclone lineup will be Dante—a name that could soon carve itself into another chapter of 2025’s turbulent weather history.

Suspended Lives, Submerged Realities

As the rain pounds on, life halts in many areas.

Malacañang swiftly suspended classes in all levels and government work across Metro Manila and 10 other severely affected provinces, including Zambales, Bataan, Pampanga, Bulacan, Cavite, Batangas, Rizal, Pangasinan, Tarlac, and Occidental Mindoro.

The images emerging from affected communities paint a portrait of distress:

Students trudging through waist-deep floods in Quezon City.

Jeepneys abandoned as operators halt routes.

Emergency responders struggling to reach stranded families.

For many, the monsoon isn’t just a seasonal nuisance—it is a relentless siege on safety, security, and stability.

The Bigger Climate Picture

Already, the Philippines has weathered three tropical cyclones in 2025, with two in July alone—Typhoon Bising (Danas) and Severe Tropical Storm Crising (Wipha). As global temperatures continue to rise, extreme weather events are growing in frequency and ferocity, a stark reminder of our vulnerability in the face of climate change.

The habagat, once predictable, now behaves erratically. And while the country’s disaster response has improved in the last decade, the challenge grows steeper with every storm surge, landslide, and flooded barangay.

Call to Vigilance and Action

As communities across Luzon brace for more rainfall, vigilance is paramount. PAGASA urges all residents in high-risk areas to monitor advisories, prepare emergency supplies, and avoid travel unless necessary.

Beyond individual preparedness, this is a clarion call for policy action, infrastructure resilience, and climate accountability. The deluge is not merely a force of nature—it is a test of leadership, compassion, and foresight.

Because as the rain continues to fall, it exposes more than just the streets—it lays bare the fragility of our systems, the courage of our people, and the urgency of change.

Follow Wazzup Pilipinas for real-time weather updates, ground reports, and stories from the heart of the storm.

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