Low pressure area now a cyclone

pagas.gov.ph photo

MANILA, Philippines—A low pressure-area in the Pacific strengthened into a tropical depression on Saturday but the state weather bureau did not raise any public storm warnings as it was still too far to affect any part of the country, but a new pressure area off Palawan .

At 4 p.m. Saturday, the eye of Tropical Depression Dante  was observed to be some 730 kilometers northeast of Casiguran, Aurora, packing peak winds of 55 kph near the center. It was forecast to move northeast at 11 kph.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said it was monitoring a new low pressure area 100 kilometers north of Puerto Princesa City in Palawan.

It is seen to bring moderate to heavy rains over Palawan, especially the northern part.

Although “Dante” is still a considerable distance away, it is predicted to enhance the southwest monsoon that will bring rains and thunderstorms over Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, Pagasa said.

It will bring moderate to heavy rains of 5-15 millimeters per hour over an area within 150 kilometers of its eye.

According to Pagasa’s outlook for Sunday, the Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Caraga, Mimaropa and Visayas will experience cloudy skies with moderate to occasionally heavy rains and thunderstorms which may trigger flash floods and landslides.

The Bicol region and the rest of Mindanao will have cloudy skies with light to moderate rain showers and thunderstorms. Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon will be partly cloudy with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms mostly in the afternoon or evening, it said.

Moderate to occasionally strong winds blowing from the southwest to west will prevail over Northern Luzon and its coastal waters will be moderate to occasionally rough.

Elsewhere winds will be light to moderate coming from the southwest with slight to moderate seas.