MT Satellite image January 14, 2015 7:32 a.m. Screengrab from https://pagasa.dost.gov.ph/index.php
MANILA, Philippines – One day before the arrival of Pope Francis in the Philippines, the low pressure area (LPA) being monitored by the weather bureau east of the country has strengthened into a tropical depression.
The tropical depression, with maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour, was last observed 1,610 kilometers east of Mindanao and moving west northwest at 19 kph, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).
Pagasa expects the tropical depression to enter the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning and will be locally named “Amang.”
It will enter the PAR ahead of Pope Francis who is scheduled to arrive at the Villamor Airbase in Pasay City at 5:45 p.m. Thursday.
While still outside the PAR, the trough or elongated edge of the depression is already affecting parts of northern Mindanao and the Visayas.
Subsequently, forecaster Jun Galang told INQUIRER.net that rains are forecast over the Caraga region and Eastern Visayas on Wednesday.
“The region of Caraga and the provinces of Leyte and Bohol will experience cloudy skies with light to moderate rains with possible occurrence of thunderstorms,” Pagasa said in its 5 a.m. bulletin Wednesday.
Rains are expected over Leyte even as Pope Francis flies to Tacloban City on Saturday morning, January 17. He will say Mass at the airport before having lunch with survivors of Supertyphoon Yolanda at the Archbishop’s Residence in Palo.
He will fly back to Manila at 5 p.m.
Galang said the tropical depression could still change course or hit the Bicol region.
Meanwhile, the northeast monsoon is still affecting Luzon and will bring cloudy skies with light rains.
“Cagayan Valley and Cordillera will have cloudy skies with light rains,” Pagasa said.
Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon will be partly cloudy to at times cloudy with isolated light rains.
The rest of Visayas and Mindanao will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rains with the possible occurrence of thunderstorms.
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