LPA off Catanduanes may develop into a tropical depression – Pagasa

ALTHOUGH a low pressure area (LPA) was spotted in the waters off Catanduanes, it will likely escalate into a tropical depression in the coming days, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said on Wednesday.

In its 4 p.m. advisory, Pagasa said the weather disturbance was last spotted past 3 p.m. some 180 kilometers northeast of Virac, also in the same province or 400kms east of Infanta, Quezon.

“Based on Pagasa's satellite images the LPA is still in the waters but we are not discounting the possibility that it will intensify into a storm in the coming days,” weather forecaster Ana Clauren Jorda said.

Being enhanced by the southwest monsoon or “habagat,” it is bringing overcast skies with scattered heavy rain and thunderstorms over Metro Manila, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batnagas, Rizal and Quezon), Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan), Bicol Region, Visayas and Mindanao, she said.

In particular, the LPA is also affecting Cagayan Valley with similar weather conditions, the state weather bureau said.

Meanwhile, the rest of Luzon will have overcast skies with scattered rain showers or thunderstorms due to the trough of LPA, it added.