MANILA, Philippines – A low-pressure area entered the Philippine area of responsibility yesterday and is expected to dump rains over the eastern section of the Visayas and Mindanao this weekend, the state weather bureau said.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) spotted the low-pressure area at 800 kilometers east of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur at 4 p.m. yesterday.
“This weather system is expected to bring cloudy skies and moderate to occasionally heavy rainshowers and thunderstorms over Eastern Visayas, Caraga and Davao region,” the weather bureau said in an advisory.
PAGASA said there is still a possibility that the low-pressure area will intensify into a cyclone as it remains over the sea.
The low-pressure area will be locally named Seniang once it develops into a cyclone.
A total of 18 cyclones have entered the country so far this year, three of which were strong typhoons, PAGASA said.
Meanwhile, PAGASA said the tail-end of a cold front will continue to bring cloudy skies with light to moderate rains over the Bicol region, Eastern Visayas, Caraga and Davao region this weekend.
The regions of Cordillera, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon and Quezon province and Ilocos and the rest of Central Luzon will experience cloudy skies with light rains due to the northeast monsoon.
Metro Manila and the rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers and thunderstorms.
PAGASA also continued to remind the public to avoid going out in the northern and eastern seaboards of Luzon due to big waves generated by the surge of the northeast monsoon.
A gale warning was issued yesterday over Batanes, Calayan, Babuyan, Cagayan, northern coast of Ilocos Norte, Isabela, Aurora, Camarines Provinces, Catanduanes, eastern coast of Albay, eastern coast of Sorsogon and the eastern coast of Quezon, including Polillo Island.
These areas will have rough to very rough seas with wave heights of up to 4.5 meters (about 14.76 feet), PAGASA said.