Pagasa: New LPA develops within PAR; expect more monsoon rain

MANILA, Philippines — A new low-pressure area (LPA) has developed within the Philippine Area of Responsibility, but the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Friday it has yet to directly affect the country’s climate.

However, the state weather bureau said it is not discounting the possibility that the new LPA will intensify into a storm in the next two days.

Pagasa said that as of 3 p.m., the LPA was 875 kilometers east of Tuguegarao City, Cagayan.

Further, Pagasa said the other LPA being monitored outside PAR has intensified into a tropical depression. It added that LPA will no longer have any impact on the country’s weather although it’s still enhancing the southwest monsoon, which has been causing rain in many parts of the country.

Pagasa said that as of 2 p.m., the tropical depression is located 1,005 kilometers west of Northern Luzon and was moving westward at 20 kilometers per hour (km/h).

It has maximum sustained winds of 55 km/h near the center and gustiness of up to 70 km/h.

Meanwhile, Pagasa said monsoon rains could be expected in Pangasinan, Zambales, Bataan, Palawan, Aurora, Isabela, and Mindoro provinces.

Metro Manila, Visayas, Caraga region, Northern Mindanao, Zamboanga Peninsula, Sulu, Basilan, Tawi-Tawi, and remaining parts of Luzon could experience overcast skies and scattered rains, the state weather bureau also said.

Localized thunderstorms, on the other hand, could be expected over the rest of Mindanao, it added.