The Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) and the easterlies are expected to bring rain across much of the Philippines, raising the risk of flooding and landslides, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said on Friday. Both systems are among the country's most common rain-bearing weather patterns over the tropical western Pacific.

In its 4:00 p.m. advisory, the state weather bureau said the ITCZ, a belt near the equator where winds from the northern and southern hemispheres converge, will bring scattered rain showers and thunderstorms over areas of Luzon — including the Bicol Region, MIMAROPA (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan) and Quezon — as well as parts of the Visayas and Mindanao.

Meanwhile, Aurora, Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon are expected to experience similar weather conditions due to the easterlies, warm and humid winds that flow from the Pacific toward the eastern sections of the country.

PAGASA warned that flooding and landslides remain possible in areas affected by both weather systems.

Rain is also forecast over Batanes and the Babuyan Islands due to the northeasterly wind flow, winds blowing from the northeast toward the country's northernmost islands, although no significant impact is expected.

The weather bureau is likewise monitoring Severe Tropical Storm Champi, which was located 2,930 kilometers east of Eastern Visayas at the time of the advisory. The storm carries maximum sustained winds of 100 kilometers per hour (kph) and gusts of up to 125 kph, consistent with PAGASA's severe tropical storm classification, which covers maximum sustained winds of 89 to 117 kph. Such monitoring is routine in the Philippines, which is typically visited by about 20 tropical cyclones each year.

The tropical cyclone is not affecting any part of the country as of the forecast period. Succeeding PAGASA bulletins will provide updated forecasts for both rain-bearing and the distant storm.

— Edg Adrian A. Eva, BusinessWorld