MANILA, Philippines — The low pressure area (LPA) off Mindanao entered the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) on Monday and will trigger rain showers in parts of Visayas and Mindanao, the state weather bureau said.
As of 3:00 a.m. Monday, the LPA was spotted some 905 kilometers east of Mindanao, an hour after entering PAR, according to Obet Badrina, weather specialist of Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).
Badrina said the LPA could become the first tropical cyclone to hit the country this year and would be given the local name “Amang.”
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“Base po sa huling datos natin, hindi natin inaalis ang posibilidad na ito ay maging isang bagyo, kung sakali ito ang unang bagyo natin para sa taong 2023 kung saan ang magiging pangalan niyan ay Bagyong Amang,” Badrina said..
(Based on our latest data, we are not dismissing the possibility of it becoming a tropical cyclone. If ever ,this will be the first tropical cyclone of 2023, which will be called “Amang”.)“Patuloy natin itong imo-monitor, possibleng maging bagyo, possibleng hindi,” he added.
(We will monitor it continuously, it may or may not intensify into a storm.)
The LPA is forecast to induce rainfall in Southern Luzon and eastern sections of the country in the coming days, according to Badrina.
“Maging bagyo man o hindi, ang low pressure area na ito ay inaasahan natin posibleng makaapekto dito sa may bahagi ng Eastern Visayas, at dito din sa bahagi ng Southern Luzon, at maairing dumikit sa Quezon [and] Aurora area,” he said.
(Whether or not it becomes a tropical cyclone, this LPA is expected to affect Eastern Visayas, Southern Luzon and it could also come closer to Quezon and Aurora area.)
Monday weather forecast
The trough or extension of the LPA is expected to bring rain to Eastern Visayas and Caraga region on Monday, Badrina said.
Overcast skies and rain showers are possible in Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Ilocos region, and Cordillera Administrative Region due to the northeasterly surface wind flow.
Fair weather, partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers and thunderstorms, meantime, are expected in Metro Manila and the rest of the country, Badrina added.
Pagasa did not raise gale warnings over any of the country’s seaboards.