LPA off Mindanao intensifies into cyclone

MANILA, Philippines — A low-pressure area monitored east of Mindanao has intensified into a tropical depression and may enter the country during the weekend.

The cyclone is expected to enter the Philippine area of responsibility tomorrow night or Sunday morning and will be named Samuel, according to Ariel Rojas of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.

The weather disturbance was spotted 2,715 kilometers east of Mindanao yesterday morning.

It will bring rains over the eastern section of the Visayas and Mindanao.

Meanwhile, another low-pressure area was monitored 220 kilometers south of Puerto Princesa City, Palawan yesterday afternoon.

Rojas said the low-pressure area is not expected to intensify into a storm, but will bring cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms over Palawan, the Visayas and Mindanao.

Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers due to localized thunderstorms.