The low pressure area west southwest of Bataan has intensified into Tropical Depression Henry, prompting PAGASA to raise Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 1 over portions of Central Luzon on Wednesday, July 1.
In its 5 a.m. tropical cyclone bulletin, PAGASA said the center of Henry was estimated at 115 kilometers west southwest of Abucay, Bataan as of 4 a.m.
The tropical depression packs maximum sustained winds of 45 kilometers per hour (km/h) near the center, gusts of up to 55 km/h, and is moving northwestward at 25 km/h.
TCWS No. 1 is in effect over the southwestern portion of Zambales, including San Antonio, Castillejos, Subic, and Olongapo City; the western portion of Bataan, including Morong, Bagac, and Mariveles; as well as the Lubang Islands in Occidental Mindoro. PAGASA warned of minimal to minor impacts from strong winds in these areas within the next 36 hours.
Henry, along with the enhanced southwest monsoon or habagat, is also expected to bring rains and gusty winds across several parts of the country.
Zambales and Bataan are forecast to experience rains with gusty winds due to the tropical depression.
Meanwhile, Metro Manila, CALABARZON, Bulacan, Tarlac, Pampanga, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, and Marinduque will have cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms also caused by Henry.
The southwest monsoon will continue to affect Western Visayas, Negros Island Region, Central Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), the rest of MIMAROPA, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Oriental, and Misamis Occidental, bringing cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms.
The rest of the country will experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms due to localized thunderstorms.
PAGASA also warned that the outer rainbands of Henry and the southwest monsoon may trigger heavy rainfall and strong to gale-force gusts, particularly in coastal and upland areas exposed to prevailing winds.
Mariners of motorbancas and other similarly sized vessels were advised to exercise caution, especially along the seaboards of Cagayan, Isabela, Aurora, Batanes, Ilocos Norte, Zambales, Bataan, Lubang Islands, La Union, Pangasinan, and Palawan, where moderate sea conditions are expected.
According to PAGASA, Henry is forecast to move generally west northwestward while moving away from the Philippine landmass and may exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) by Thursday morning, July 2.
The weather bureau added that the tropical depression is expected to gradually intensify and may reach tropical storm category before leaving PAR.
