LPA east of Mindanao may turn into new cyclone over PH – PAGASA

MANILA, Philippines — A new potential tropical cyclone threatens the country in the heels of Typhoon Nona (international name Melor), which battered central Philippines on Monday and Tuesday.

The low pressure area in the Pacific located about 1,600 kilometers east southeast of Mindanao as of Tuesday could reach the Philippine area of responsibility on Wednesday, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said.

The new weather disturbance could start to affect the country later in the week, as Typhoon Nona leaves the Philippine area of responsibility Friday when it is expected to weaken into a low pressure area in the West Philippine Sea.

In its tropical cyclone formation alert, the US military’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center said the “potential for the development of a significant tropical cyclone within the next 24 hours is high.”

Should the incoming low pressure area develop into a cyclone, it will be locally named Onyok, the second cyclone to hit the country this month and the 15th this year.

Onyok is next in the list of typhoon names after Nonoy, which PAGASA was ordered to change at the last minute to Nona since it sounded like the President’s nickname Noynoy.

Typhoon Nona battered the Mindoro provinces most of Tuesday after crossing Romblon from Masbate earlier in the day, remaining powerful with winds up to 140 to 170 kilometers per hour and heavy to intense rains within its 250 km diameter.

Northern Samar, Sorsogon, Masbate, Romblon and Mindoro took the brunt since the center of the typhoon island-hopped in these provinces since Monday.

The typhoon did not exit land until Tuesday night, contrary to the forecast that it would leave the Mindoro provinces behind by Tuesday afternoon.

PAGASA said Typhoon Nona slowed down and did not weaken as expected because it drew strength from warm surface waters while crossing the Sibuyan Sea.

According to PAGASA, the typhoon will be over the West Philippine Sea on Wednesday and skirt Palawan on Thursday on its way out of the Philippine area of responsibility on Friday, all the while gradually weakening from a tropical storm into a low pressure area.

PAGASA maintained its public storm warning signals throughout Tuesday.

Oriental Mindoro and Occidental Mindoro including Lubang Island remained under public storm warning signal number 3.

Batangas, Cavite, Marinduque, Romblon and the Calamian group of islands in Palawan, meanwhile, remained under warning signal number 2.

Metro Manila, Bataan,  Southern Zambales, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, Quezon, northern Palawan including Cuyo island and Antique remained under warning signal number 1.  SFM