Potential tropical storm spotted

CEBU, Philippines - A low-pressure area (LPA) has been spotted east of Surigao City at around 2 p.m. yesterday.

However, forecaster Fernando Cada of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) believes the LPA has a slim chance of developing into a tropical depression as it was already positioned close to land, 168 kilometers east of Surigao City.

“We would be monitoring this LPA. There is a possibility that in 12-24 hours it would dissipate,” he said.   A tail-end of a cold front is affecting Northern Luzon, PAGASA said.

Based on its 5 p.m. forecast, PAGASA said typhoon Yolanda-devastated Eastern Visayas and Mindanao would experience cloudy skies with moderate to occasionally heavy rainshowers and thunderstorms that might trigger flashfloods and landslides.

PAGASA issued a heavy rainfall warning at 7 a.m. for the Zamboanga Peninsula, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Compostella Valley, Davao Oriental and Davao del Norte.

The agency said flooding is possible in low-lying areas while landslides threaten mountainous areas.

PAGASA issued a heavy rainfall warning for Samar, Eastern Samar and Northern Samar at 2 p.m.

“Flooding is possible in low lying areas and landslides in mountainous areas,” PAGASA said.

The weather bureau has alerted the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

In its 24-hour weather forecast, PAGASA said the tail-end of a cold front is affecting Northern Luzon.

Cagayan Valley, the Cordillera Administrative Region, the provinces of Aurora and Quezon will be cloudy with rains while Metro Manila, Ilocos Region and the rest of Central Luzon will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with light rains.

The rest of Luzon will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rains or thunderstorms while Bicol Region, Southern Palawan, Visayas and Mindanao will experience cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and thunderstorms.

Moderate to strong winds blowing from the northeast will prevail over Luzon and Visayas and the coastal waters along these areas will be moderate to rough, according to PAGASA.

In other parts of the country, winds will be light to moderate coming from the northeast with slight to moderate seas. — Philippine Star News Service