MANILA, Philippines — The southwest monsoon locally known as 'habagat' is expected to prevail in most parts of the archipelago, bringing overcast skies and scattered rain showers and thunderstorms until the weekend, the state-run weather agency said on Friday.

Weather specialist Aldczar Aurelio of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said habagat would particularly affect Metro Manila, Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, Zambales, Bataan, Tarlac, Pampanga, Bulacan, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) and Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan).