YESTERDAY’S cloudy skies and sudden downpour were due to the southwest monsoon affecting Mindanao, Visayas, and Palawan, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said. The southwest monsoon or “hanging habagat” is is the prevailing wind system during the rainy season associated with the occurrence of intermittent to continuous rains. As a result, the Zamboanga peninsula up to Caraga and Palawan to western Visayas saw cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and isolated thunderstorms.