Heavy rain, flood warnings aired over parts of Mindanao

MTSAT ENHANCED IR Satellite Image for 3 a.m., 2 January 2012

A new low pressure area (LPA) is threatening to bring heavy rains over eastern Mindanao, prompting the weather bureau to issue flood warnings in areas near major rivers and streams in the region.

As of 8 a.m. Sunday, the weather disturbance was spotted 410 kilometers east southeast of General Santos City, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said.

Pagasa said it did not show signs of turning into a tropical storm but it could bring heavy rains that could trigger landslides and flash floods in eastern and southern Mindanao, from the Surigao provinces to Sarangani.

Pagasa has issued flood advisories in Region XII and Region XIII, warning that the rivers and streams in the affected provinces could swell.

Parts of central and northern Mindanao are still reeling from the effects of Tropical Storm “Sendong” last month.

In its 8 a.m. advisory Sunday, Pagasa said 14.8 mm to 22 mm of rain had been observed in parts of Surigao during an 18-hour period that ended at 2 a.m. Sunday. Forecast rainfall in the affected provinces would be “moderate to occasionally heavy in the next 24 hours,” Pagasa said.

Local disaster risk and management councils were advised to warn communities in low-lying areas and near river banks.

Pagasa said central and eastern Visayas would see cloudy skies and scattered rainshowers due to the wind convergence. Luzon would be generally clear because of the dominance of the northeast monsoon, the advisory said. Kristine L. Alave