LPA off Aurora now tropical depression ‘Odette’

MANILA, Philippines — The low pressure area off Aurora being monitored by the weather bureau intensified into a tropical depression Monday afternoon, and was named “Odette.”

The cyclone was last observed 930 kilometers east of Casiguran, packing maximum sustained winds of 45 kilometers per hour near the center. It was moving slowly at west northwest at 7 kph, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said in its afternoon bulletin.

Although it will not yet directly affect any part of the country, it will bring moderate to heavy rains within its 300-kilometer diameter. It will also enhance the southwest monsoon that will bring moderate to occasionally heavy rains and thunderstorms over Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, and Occidental Mindoro.

The southwest monsoon is affecting Central and Southern Luzon and Visayas.

The rest of Luzon and Visayas will have cloudy skies with light to moderate rainshowers and thunderstorms, Pagasa said.

Mindanao will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms.

Moderate to strong winds blowing from the southwest to south will prevail over Luzon and its coastal waters will be moderate to rough. Elsewhere, winds will be light to moderate coming from the southwest with slight to moderate seas.