MANILA - Dozens were evacuated in at least three towns as monsoon rains whipped by Typhoon “Butchoy” were expected to continue late on Friday, the national disaster monitoring agency said.

At least 119 people in the coastal towns of San Felipe, San Antonio and San Narciso, Zambales where the highest rainfall warning will be raised later in the day, said Ricardo Jalad, executive director of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

Aside from Zambales, the “red” warning will also be raised in neighboring Bataan province. The highest warning means “serious flooding” is possible with rainfall of up to 30 millimeters per hour, Jalad told reporters.

The second highest “orange” alert will be raised in Cavite while the lowest “yellow” alert will be raised over Metro Manila, Laguna, Rizal and Batangas, he said.

“Butchoy” (international name: Nepartak) slammed into Taiwan with 230-kilometer per hour wind gusts before dawn Friday. While it did not directly hit the Philippines, the weather system enchanced the southwest monsoon, officials said.

“Ang effect na maiiwan nito sa atin, maaaring magkaroon ng medyo malakas na pag-ulan sa hapon at sa later part in the evening sa Central and Southern Luzon,” Jalad said.

Malacananag suspended work in government offices from 1 p.m. Friday due to the rains. Classes and flights were also suspended.

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