PAGASA: LPA to Bring Rains on Friday

The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) has warned the public of rains in most parts of the country due to a low pressure area (LPA).

In an interview, PAGASA weather forecaster Gener Quitlong said that as of 4 a.m., the LPA was spotted west of Calapan City in Oriental Mindoro and it is embedded along the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) affecting Visayas and Mindanao.

Quitlong said the LPA has a slim chance to intensify into tropical cyclone and expected to exit the country within the next 24 hours and headed towards Vietnam.

However, he said the LPA will enhance the ITCZ that will bring rains over Visayas and Mindanao until weekend.

He also noted that they are monitoring another weather disturbance outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility which is expected to enter the country within the next 48 hours which may develop into a tropical cyclone.

Once it intensifies into tropical cyclone, it will be locally named “Ambo,” the first to affect the country this year, said Quitlong.

For Friday forecast, Quitlong said the LPA will bring cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and thunderstorms over Visayas, Mindanao and over the provinces of Mindoro and Palawan.

Partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms will prevail over Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon.

Moderate to occasionally strong winds blowing from southwest to south will prevail over Palawan and its coastal waters will be moderate to occasionally rough.

Light to moderate winds blowing from the southwest to southeast will prevail over Visayas and Mindanao and from the southeast over the rest of Luzon with slight to moderate seas.

The state weather bureau has not issued gale warning as the fisherfolks are safe to venture into the seas. (PNA) JMC/CLTC