MANILA, Jan. 16 (PNA) – The low pressure area (LPA) hovering over the Visayas still has slim chance to intensify into a tropical depression in the next 24 hours but continues to dump heavy rains over some parts of the Visayas and Mindanao, the state weather bureau said on Thursday.
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration weather forecaster Alvin Pura said that until Saturday, the LPA is expected to bring cloudy skies with moderate to occasionally heavy rains in Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao, and Caraga Region which may trigger flash floods and landslides.
Pura said the LPA’s extension of clouds will continue to affect the rest of the Visayas, Davao Region and Zamboanga Peninsula, thus inducing cloudy skies with light to moderate rains in these areas.
He added that the rest of Mindanao will have improved weather, apart from partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms.
Within the next 24 hours, Pura said the LPA is still not expected to intensify into a tropical depression.
As of 4 p.m. Thursday, the LPA was spotted 210 kilometers east of Guiuan, Eastern Samar (11.0°N, 128.0°E).
Pura said it remains almost stationary due to the presence of two high pressure areas (HPAs) off the Pacific Ocean.
He noted that the two weather systems prevent the LPA from moving freely.
Pura also said that the LPA is expected to exit by Sunday as it moves towards Malaysia.
Meanwhile, Pura said that Cagayan Valley, Bicol Region and the province of Aurora will be cloudy with light rains, while the rest of Luzon, including Metro Manila, will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated light rains due to the northeast monsoon. (PNA)