2 low-pressure areas spotted off northern Luzon

MANILA, Philippines - Two low-pressure areas (LPAs) were spotted off northern Luzon yesterday but the weather bureau said only one is expected to bring heavy rains over the region this weekend.

Rene Paciente, senior weather forecaster at the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), said as of 10 a.m. yesterday the low-pressure areas were located at 285 kilometers northeast of Basco, Batanes and 1,220 kms east of extreme northern Luzon.

Paciente said the LPAs are likely to intensify into tropical cyclones as they remain over the sea.

Of the two LPAs, the one off Batanes is expected to bring moderate to occasionally heavy rains over some parts of northern Luzon, including Ilocos Norte, La Union and Batanes, and the Babuyan and Calayan groups of islands, which may trigger flashfloods and landslides.

Paciente said the other LPA is still far to directly affect the country.

He said the LPA over Batanes could also enhance the southwest monsoon, which will bring rains over the rest of Luzon, including Metro Manila.

Paciente said the disturbance is not expected to affect the areas hit by Typhoon Labuyo.

Meanwhile, the weather bureau advised the public to brace for stronger typhoons during the last quarter of the year.

PAGASA deputy administrator Flaviana Hilario said the cyclones during the months of October to December usually make landfall and reach the typhoon category.

She also said the name “Labuyo” is likely to be deleted from the agency’s list of names of local tropical cyclones after it left damage of more than P1 billion.

As of yesterday morning, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) placed the damage from Labuyo at P1,081,719,037.59, including P358,547,941.93 in infrastructure and P723,171,095.66 in agriculture.

“We are still waiting for the damage from the NDRRMC. If the damage is at least P1 billion, Labuyo will be decommissioned,” Hilario said in a text message.

Labuyo, the strongest typhoon to hit the country so far this year, left at least eight dead, seven injured, and four missing, the NDRRMC said.

– With Jaime Laude