PAGASA: LPA seen to bring rains over Mindanao

MANILA, Philippines — Weather bureau PAGASA on Monday said it is monitoring a new low pressure area which is bringing rains in Mindanao and other southern parts of the country.

The agency in its afternoon public forecast said the LPA was last seen at 85 kilometers south southeast of Zamboanga City and is within the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone.

As a result, rains are seen to prevail over Mindanao, Palawan and Kalayaan Island, but the weather disturbance remains unlikely to develop into a typhoon.

Some 20 storms hit the Philippines a year on average, with 22 in total just last year. Three typhoons consecutively battering Luzon in November had left it under a state of calamity, with millions affected and scores dead.

The northeast monsoon or the Amihan, meanwhile, is still being felt over a significant portion of of the island, while the tail-end of a frontal system continues to affect the eastern part of Southern Luzon.

By Tuesday, Bicol Region and Quezon Province, including Marinduque, Romblon and Mindoro will see cloudy skies and scattered rains with thunderstorms still due to the tail-end.

The same is expected over Kalayaan Islands and Puerto Princesa, but due to the LPA and the ITCZ.

The Amihan, in turn, will bring slight rains over Ilocos Region and Zambales despite a fair weather forecast, while Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon will see cloudy skies and ocassional rains on Tuesday, January 19.

Visayas and Mindanao will also see cloudy skies and rains brought by the LPA and the ITCZ.

PAGASA said gale warning has been raised in the following areas, warning that wave height could reach between 2.8 to 4.5 meters:

• Seaboards of Nothern and Central Luzon
• Western coast of Palawan including Kalayaan Islands
• Lubang Islands
• Eastern coast of Quezon including Polilio Islands
• Camarines Norte
• Northern and Eastern coast of Camarines Sur
• Northern and Eastern coast of Catanduanes
• Eastern coast of Albay including Rapu-Rapu Island
• Eastern coast of Sorsogon
• Northern and Eastern coast of Northern Samar
• Eastern coast of Samar
• Eastern coast of Dinagat Islands
• Eastern coast of Surigao del Norte
• Eastern coast of Siargao Island
• Surigao del Sur 

— Christian Deiparine