THE Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) is monitoring a low pressure area outside the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR), which may intensify into a tropical depression.
The LPA was some a 2,760 km east of northern Luzon as of 8 a.m. yesterday, PAGASA said, and has a “high chance of developing into a tropical depression within the next 24 hours.”
“We are not also ruling out the possibility that it will enter our Philippine area of responsibility,” said PAGASA weather specialist Chenel Dominguez earlier.
Dominguez said the LPA is not directly affecting the country at present.
PAGASA is monitoring another LPA inside the PAR. It was some 95 km east of Casiguran, Aurora also as of 8 a.m. yesterday.
It has a “medium chance” of intensifying into a tropical depression within the next 24 hours, PAGASA said.
Dominguez said the LPA will cross the landmass and is expected to bring rains to Luzon areas especially while crossing the landmass on Thursday night or Friday morning.
Dominguez said PAGASA is not ruling out the possibility the LPA will also intensify into a tropical area while it is already in the West Philippine Sea.
The country’s last three tropical cyclones – “Crising,” “Dante,” and “Emong” — and the southwest monsoon brought rains and flooding to many parts of the country in the past weeks.
In a situational report yesterday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said these weather systems affected 2,414,704 families (8,804,610 persons).
Of the number, 258,925 families (982,369 persons) have been displaced though this was already down to 49,969 families (191,108 persons) as of yesterday.
Forty people died and eight others still missing, the NDRRMC said.
