Inday to bring rains this week

MANILA, Philippines - A low-pressure area east of Aparri, Cagayan intensified into a tropical depression yesterday and is expected to bring rains over some parts of Luzon and the Visayas in the next two to three days, the state weather bureau said.

Rene Paciente, senior weather forecaster of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), said Tropical Depression Inday was not expected to make landfall in any part of the country.

However, it will enhance the southwest monsoon which will bring light rains over the western sections of Luzon and the Visayas and over the eastern section of Northern and Central Luzon, Paciente said.

As of 4 p.m. yesterday, Inday was spotted at 720 kilometers east of Aparri with maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour near the center.

It was forecast to move northwest at 20 kph.

The disturbance is predicted to be at 690 km east northeast of Aparri this morning; 695 km northeast of Aparri tomorrow morning; and at 740 km north northeast of Basco, Batanes by Friday morning.

Paciente said Inday is expected to gain strength as it moves toward Southern Japan.

Inday is the ninth tropical cyclone to enter the country this year and the fourth weather disturbance this month.

PAGASA said Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, the Bicol region, Western Visayas and the provinces of Zambales and Bataan will experience occasional rains until today.

The rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms.

PAGASA said coastal waters throughout the archipelago will be moderate to rough.

NDRRMC on alert

Meanwhile, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) yesterday alerted its regional units for the possible effects of Inday.

The agency said civil defense regional centers have been ordered to prepare precautionary measures and to initiate preemptive evacuation in low-lying and mountainous areas when needed.

“Emphasis should be on proactive action – evacuation rather than rescue,” the NDRRMC said. – With Alexis Romero