New LPA enters Phl, may become storm

MANILA, Philippines - A new low-pressure area with a high chance of becoming a storm has entered the Philippine area of responsibility, the state weather bureau said yesterday.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said the new low-pressure area was spotted 840 kilometers east of Mindanao and it will be named Inday if it strengthens into a cyclone.

The provinces of Zambales and Bataan would experience occasional rains, while the Visayas, Mindanao and the provinces of Mindoro would be cloudy with light to moderate rainshowers and thunderstorms, PAGASA said.

Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms.

PAGASA also said moderate to strong winds blowing from the southwest would prevail over the western section of Luzon and its coastal waters would be moderate to rough.

Elsewhere, winds would be light to moderate coming from the southwest to west over the rest of the country, with slight to moderate seas.