Pagasa monitoring LPA outside PAR

A tropical depression outside the Philippine area of responsibility has weakened into a low pressure area (LPA), the state weather bureau said midday Monday.

The weather disturbance was last spotted 1,500 kilometers east of Mindanao, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said.

“Patuloy pa rin natin itong mino-monitor dahil baka pumasok pa rin ito sa PAR within the week,” weather forecaster Obet Badrina said in a press brefing.

(We are still monitoring this because it might still enter PAR within the week.)

He said they are considering the possibility that it could re-intensify into a tropical cyclone.

“Marami kaming scenario na nakikita at malaki ang potential na mabuo pa rin ang LPA at maging ganap na LPA. ‘Di rin namin inaalis ang posibilidad na malusaw,” Badrina said.

(We see a lot of scenarios coming from this and there is a huge potential that it may grow into a full LPA. We also don’t take away the possibility that it could dissipate.)

Should it become a tropical cyclone, it will be a rainy Christmas over Visayas and Mindanao, which is the usual path of storms entering PAR at this time of the year.

Badrina said they will give more detailed updates in the coming days as the weather system moves closer to the Philippines. /je