Low-pressure area may enter PH on Sunday

A low pressure area (LPA) brewing near Mindanao may enter the country by Sunday, the state weather bureau said.

In its latest weather update issued Friday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said it continues to monitor the LPA that was last spotted 1,930 kilometers off east of Mindanao.

PAGASA weather specialist Meno Mendoza said the LPA is expected to enter the country by Sunday but has a slim chance to develop into a tropical storm.

Prior to the anticipated entry of the LPA, PAGASA said that the northeast monsoon or "amihan" will continue to bring light rains over Northern and Central Luzon this weekend.

Cloudy skies with light rains are expected over Cagayan Valley, Cordillera Administrative Region, Aurora, and Quezon due to “amihan.”

PAGASA warned residents on possible intermittent strong winds especially in the affected coastal and mountainous areas.

In Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon, “amihan” will also bring partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated light rains.

Meanwhile, easterlies or warm winds from the Pacific Ocean are forecast to bring isolated rain showers and thunderstorms in Mindanao and Eastern Visayas.

Partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers will prevail over the rest of Visayas caused by localized thunderstorms.

Flash floods or landslides are possible in areas affected by easterlies and localized thunderstorms during severe thunderstorms, PAGASA added.

Due to the surge of “amihan,” PAGASA raised a gale warning on the northern seaboards of Northern Luzon particularly in the coasts of Batanes and Babuyan Islands.

Sea travel remains risky, especially for small sea crafts, over seaboards where a gale warning was raised due to rough sea conditions, and wave height of up to four meters, the bureau said.