MTSAT ENHANCED-IR Satellite Image 6:32 p.m., 29 January 2014. pagas.dost.gov.ph photo
MANILA, Philippines — The weather bureau anticipates the potential tropical cyclone spotted east of Northern Mindanao to enter the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) by Thursday evening.
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) forecasters said that the low pressure area (LPA) might affect the Eastern Visayas and Eastern Mindanao by late Friday.
Forecaster Gener Quitlong said that as of 5 p.m., Wednesday, the LPA was over the Pacific Ocean at about 2,000 kilometers east of Northern Mindanao and was moving slowly towards the PAR. He pointed out that the movement was so sluggish that the LPA was almost stationary.
Quitlong told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that the LPA could develop into a tropical cyclone upon its entry into the PAR on late Thursday afternoon or evening. “We cannot remove that probability,” he said, adding that if it would be named “Basyang” if it developed into a cyclone.
He said that by Friday afternoon or evening, Eastern Visayas and Eastern Mindanao might feel the effects of the LPA. “The outer cloud bands of the LPA could reach the areas by then and bring rains to the areas,” the forecaster said.
While Luzon and most parts of the Visayas would likely be spared from the effects of the LPA because of the prevailing amihan (northeast monsoon) in the regions, Quitlong said that fishing vessels and small sea craft should not venture into the eastern seaboards of Central and Southern Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao because of strong to gale force northeasterly winds.
He alerted large vessels to big waves that could reach up to 4.5 meters. The sea condition in the eastern coasts of the archipelago is anticipated to be rough to very rough. Coastal waters elsewhere will be moderate to rough.
In its forecast for Thursday, Pagasa said that Luzon and the Visayas would have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated light rains while Mindanao would be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms.
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