TWO low pressure areas (LPAs) inside the Philippine area of responsibility will bring rains in many parts of the country but are not expected to intensify into tropical depression, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said yesterday.
One of the LPAs entered the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) on Tuesday night, said PAGASA weather specialist Benison Estareja.
As of 3 p.m. yesterday, it was some 405 km southwest of Puerto Princesa City in Palawan.
The second LPA developed yesterday. Also as of 3 p.m. yesterday, it was some 205 km northeast of Surigao City in Surigao del Norte or 125 km east of Guiuan, Eastern Samar.
PAGASA said the LPAs will bring moderate to heavy with at times intense rains in the Eastern Visayas, Central Visayas, and Caraga regions within 24 hours.
Light to moderate with at times heavy rains will be experienced in the Mimaropa and Bicol regions, the rest of Visayas, and the rest of Mindanao.
“Under these conditions, flooding and rain-induced landslides are possible, especially in areas that are highly or very highly susceptible to these hazards as identified in hazard maps and in areas with significant antecedent rainfall” PAGASA said.
It said the pubic and disaster risk reduction and management officials I these areas “are advised to take all necessary measures to protect life and property.”
The trough of the LPA now in Puerto Princesa City caused flooding in Lanao del Norte last Monday. It led to the death of an eight-year-old girl and affected nearly 6,000 people, of which nearly 2,000 were displaced.
Meanwhile, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported another death from the flooding caused by shear line since Christmas weekend.
The new fatality, recorded in the Northern Mindanao region, brought to 52 the total number of deaths related to the calamity.
Twenty-six of the 52 deaths were in Northern Mindanao, nine in Bicol, five in Eastern Visayas, four each in Zamboanga Peninsula and Davao, three Caraga and one in Mimaropa.
The number of missing is down to 18 — nine in Eastern Visayas, seven in Bicol region, and one each in Western Visayas and Zamboanga Peninsula.
NDRRMC said 163,320 families or 640,748 individuals were affected in Mimaropa, Bicol region, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao region, Caraga and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARRM).
