Screengrab from pagasa.dost.gov.ph
MANILA, Philippines – The low pressure area affecting the eastern part of Mindanao and the southern part of Luzon is expected to dissipate on Monday, bringing improved weather over storm-battered Visayas and Mindanao, according to the state weather forecast.
Cloudy skies that brought occasional heavy rains and thunderstorms were experienced over the Caraga and Davao regions in Mindanao and the Bicol region in Luzon on Sunday due to the low pressure area that was last located about 90 kilometers northwest of Cebu City.
The rest of Mindanao, the Visayas and the Calabarzon, Mimaropa and Metro Manila regions also had cloudy skies with rain showers and thunderstorms on Sunday.
The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said on Sunday the low pressure area had a low chance of intensifying into a tropical cyclone.
“It may dissipate (on Monday) and the weather is expected to start to improve,” Pagasa weather forecaster Aldczar Aurelio said.
If the low pressure area dissipates as expected by Monday, the country can expect fair weather except for the Caraga and Davao regions, which will remain cloudy although rains will be light to moderate, according to Pagasa.
Last week the Visayas and Mindanao were battered by Tropical Storm “Queenie” (international name Sinlaku), which exited last Friday only to be immediately followed by the low pressure area.
Aurelio said there was “nothing unusual” about the stormy weather hitting the eastern section of the country, saying this was normal during the northeast monsoon (“amihan”) season.
Tropical Storm “Queenie,” which left at least four people dead, two injured and eight others missing in the Visayas and Mindanao based on official reports, was the 20th tropical cyclone that hit the country in 2014.
Aurelio said the country on the average would get two or three tropical cyclones in November, but only had Queenie that month.
For December, the country on the average would get one or two cyclones, he said.
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