'Low-pressure area won't become tropical depression'

MANILA, Philippines - A low pressure area (LPA) has been spotted off Catanduanes for the past two days but there was small probability that it would develop into a tropical depression, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) yesterday said.

“An LPA was spotted at 220 kilometers east of Southern Luzon but there is a low probability that it would become a tropical depression because it is close to the land and its configuration to become a tropical depression is not favorable,” said Pagasa weather forecaster Joel Jesusa.

However, Jesusa said the LPA would still bring rains in different parts of the country, particularly the Bicol Region.

In its 5 p.m. public weather forecast yesterday, PAGASA said that Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao would experience mostly cloudy skies and scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms. The Bicol region and Western and Southern Mindanao, meanwhile, would experience scattered rainshowers to widespread rains which may trigger flashfloods and landslides.

The rest of the country would have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms mostly in the afternoon or evening.

Light to moderate winds blowing from the southwest and west will prevail throughout the archipelago with slight to moderate seas except during thunderstorms.