LPA forms off Batanes, may become tropical depression this weekend

Weather satellite from Pagasa

MANILA, Philippines — A low-pressure area (LPA) formed off Batanes, inside the Philippine area of responsibility early morning on Friday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said.

Weather specialist Benison Estareja reported that the LPA’s location as of the last monitoring of Pagasa was at 745 kilometers east-southeast of Itbayat, Batanes.

“Based on our track, the said weather disturbance will move northwest over Taiwan and we are not ruling out that it will become a tropical depression,” Estareja noted, speaking partly in Filipino.

“We are expecting this to intensify into a tropical depression over this weekend,” he added.

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This LPA will be named Igme once it develops into the ninth tropical cyclone to disturb the country this year.

For now, however, the southwest monsoon, locally termed habagat, will continue to bring cloudy skies with rain in many parts of Luzon, including Metro Manila, Zambales, Bataan, Ilocos Region, and Samar Island, and Visayas.

Partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms are also anticipated to occur in the rest of Visayas and Mindanao on Friday due to the southwest monsoon.

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Pagasa also said it sees moderate to rough seas with 2.5 to 3.4 meters of waves in several seaboards.

It raised gale warnings in the western seaboard of Luzon (Pangasinan, Zambales, Bataan, Occidental Mindoro) and Palawan, including Kalayaan Islands, for Friday.

“Mariners of small seacrafts (including all motor bancas of any type or tonnage) are advised to take precautionary measures when venturing out to sea and, if possible, avoid navigating in these conditions,” Pagasa’s 5 a.m. weather update states.

“Vessel masters, boat captains, ship owners/operators, and coast guard units concerned are advised to take appropriate measures to ensure safety of life at sea.”