Pagasa: LPA forms east of Mindanao outside PAR

MANILA, Philippines — The cloud cluster located east of Mindanao has developed into a low-pressure area (LPA), said the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) on Wednesday.

“As of 8 a.m. today, the cloud cluster east of Mindanao, outside the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR), has developed into a[n] LPA,” Pagasa said in an advisory.

READ: Pagasa: Cloud cluster spotted in eastern Mindanao may develop into LPA

According to Pagasa in the 172nd Climate Forum, the LPA was last spotted 1,255 kilometers east of Southeastern Mindanao.

It is expected to enter the PAR by Wednesday night or Thursday morning and may make landfall over the Bicol Region-Eastern Visayas area by late Friday or Saturday.

The LPA may also become a tropical depression around Sunday or Monday and be named “Aghon.”

By Friday, the LPA may bring scattered rain showers and thunderstorms to the eastern section of the country, particularly the Bicol Region and Eastern Visayas.

By Saturday or Sunday, the trough of the LPA may bring scattered rain showers over the eastern portion of Southern Luzon and Eastern Visayas, triggering flash floods and landslides.

However, it is also possible for the LPA to recurve over the Philippine Sea and develop into a tropical depression by Friday or Saturday.