Possible Cyclone May Enter PAR Friday or Saturday

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) is keeping watch over a low pressure area (LPA) that may enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) by weekend.

In an interview, PAGASA weather forecaster Aldczar Aurelio said the LPA is still outside the PAR and was spotted some 2,275 km east of Mindanao.

He said the LPA has high chance to enter the country by Friday or Saturday.

He noted that in other weather agency the LPA is now a tropical depression category.

Aurelio said the LPA has the potential to develop into a tropical cyclone since it’s in the sea.

Once it intensifies into tropical cyclone inside the PAR it will be locally named “Nonoy,” the 14th tropical cyclone to affect the country this year.

He added the state weather bureau still expects one more cyclone to affect the country before the year ends.

Aurelio explained that in this time of the year most of the tropical cyclones will likely affect Visayas and Mindanao because of the presence of northeast monsoon in Luzon which influences the movement of the tropical cyclone.

For Thursday forecast, Aurelio said that trough of a low pressure area now prevails over Eastern Mindanao while northeast monsoon affects extreme Northern Luzon.

The trough or extended cloudiness of the LPA will bring cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and isolated thunderstorms will be experienced over the regions of Davao and SOCCSKSARGEN.

The northeast monsoon or “hanging amihan” is the cold wind from China and Siberia that blows into the country from late October until mid-February. It is usually associated with the Christmas season.

The presence of northeast monsoon will bring cloudy skies with light rains over Batanes and the islands of Calayan and Babuyan while partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated light rains will be experienced over Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon.

It added partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms will prevail over the rest of the country.

In its advisory, PAGASA said moderate to strong winds blowing from the east will prevail over Luzon and its coastal waters will be moderate to rough. Elsewhere, winds will be light to moderate coming from the east to northeast with slight to moderate seas.

The state weather bureau has lifted the gale warning due to weakening northeast monsoon as fisherfolk are safe to venture into the seas. (PNA) JBP/CLTC