New typhoon, LPA to bring rains this week – PAGASA
Luzon is in for a rainy week. Two weather disturbances – a low pressure area (LPA) and a typhoon – are expected to bring rains over Luzon and parts of the Visayas the whole week, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) weather forecaster Meno Mendoza said.
The LPA, which was spotted at 400 kilometers (km) east of Quezon province yesterday morning, has started to bring light to moderate to at times heavy rains over Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Quezon, Aurora, Albay, Catanduanes, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Masbate, Sorsogon, and the Visayas.
So far, Mendoza said the LPA is not expected to intensify into a tropical cyclone but it could cross Central Luzon area as an LPA.
Meanwhile, a tropical cyclone with international name “Talim” continues to move towards extreme Northern Luzon.
Talim was upgraded from storm category to a typhoon with maximum sustained winds of 120 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of up to 145 kph.
As of Monday noon, the typhoon was at 1,300 km east of Luzon.
The cyclone still had no direct effect in any part of the country, but Mendoza said it was expected to enter the country’s area of responsibility any time yesterday. Once inside the vicinity, it will be given the local name of “Lannie.”
‘Blue alert’
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said that the NDRRM Operations Center has raised its Blue Alert status in preparation for the effects of the two weather disturbances.
The alert status was raised at noon yesterday, following the NDRRMC’s Pre Disaster Risk Assessment Core Group meeting in preparation for typhoon Talim and the LPA.
NDRRMC Spokesperson Romina Marasigan said the National Council is currently in close coordination with its Regional DRRM Councils likely to be affected by the weather disturbances.
Both Talim and the LPA will enhance monsoon rains over the provinces of Pangasinan, Zambales, Bataan, Cavite, Batangas, Mindoro and Palawan. Sea travel is risky over the seaboards in the Eastern section of Quezon and Bicol Region, Marasigan said. (With a report from Francis T. Wakefield)