Tropical Depression Neneng slowed down over the sea east of Taiwan on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, maintaining its strength while moving west-northwest at a speed of 15 kilometers per hour, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA). While monsoon rains began to ease across Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon, state weather bureaus warned that the combined atmospheric dynamics of the system and the enhanced Southwest Monsoon, or habagat, would continue to drench western sections of the Philippines with gale-force winds and torrential rainfall.
Tracking Tropical Depression Neneng’s Path Toward Taiwan
By late Wednesday evening, PAGASA’s 11 p.m. tropical cyclone bulletin placed Neneng at 365 kilometers northwest of Itbayat, Batanes, carrying maximum sustained winds of 45 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 55 kph. Earlier in the day, weather specialist Chenel Dominguez reported that the system was located 675 km east of Itbayat with slightly higher maximum sustained winds of 55 kph and gustiness reaching 70 kph.
Meteorologists expect the system to remain a tropical depression for roughly 36 hours before weakening into a remnant low over or near Taiwan by Friday morning, though forecasters noted that an earlier degradation remains entirely possible. Despite the proximity of the storm, no storm signals have been raised over the northernmost islands, though coastal and upland regions brace for the atmospheric fallout of the system’s outer bands.
The Persistent Grip of the Southwest Monsoon Across Luzon and the Visayas
Even as localized improvements appeared in the weather forecast for the National Capital Region (NCR) and surrounding central plains, the active Southwest Monsoon continues to exert pressure across the archipelago. PAGASA issued a specialized monsoon advisory detailing expected rainfall totals between 100 to 200 millimeters over Pangasinan, Zambales, and Bataan from Wednesday night through Thursday evening. Numerous urban flooding events and landslides in moderate to highly susceptible areas are considered likely by state meteorologists.
At the same time, a broader swath of the country—including Metro Manila, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Batanes, Abra, Benguet, Tarlac, Pampanga, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Cavite, Batangas, Laguna, Rizal, and Occidental Mindoro—faces 50 to 100 mm of accumulated rainfall. Western sections of the Visayas, notably Aklan and Antique, are also absorbing sustained moisture from the enhanced weather pattern.
Gale-force gusts are expected to sweep across most of Luzon and the Visayas, as well as the Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, and the Davao Region. Forecasters warn that these intense wind conditions will extend into Friday for most of Luzon, Panay Island, Negros Occidental, Northern Samar, and Davao Oriental, particularly impacting maritime transit and coastal communities.
Monitoring Dual Cyclones Outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility
Beyond the immediate threat posed by Neneng, weather watchers are keeping a close eye on two distinct tropical depressions tracking outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR). One system, positioned roughly 670 kilometers west of Calayan, Cagayan, is projected to track away from the landmass without making a direct landfall or heavily impacting local conditions.
A second disturbance, estimated some 3,090 kilometers east of Northeastern Mindanao, is actively reinforcing the Southwest Monsoon. While far removed from population centers, this distant system dictates the continuation of rough coastal water conditions over the northern and western sections of Luzon. Meanwhile, the rest of the archipelago experiences slight to moderate surrounding sea conditions as the regional weather pattern slowly transitions.
