Rains to continue as LPA may intensify into a tropical depression

MANILA, Philippines - State meteorologists warned on Wednesday that the low pressure area (LPA) that has been dumping rains in several parts of the country has now higher chances of becoming a tropical depression.

In an interview over radio dzMM, weather forecaster Samuel Duran of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the LPA is now moving northeastward or toward the Pacific Ocean.

"Mataas na ang tsansa na pwedeng maging bagyo," Duran said.

According to PAGASA's forecast on early Wednesday morning, the LPA was last located at 100 kilometers east of Borongan, Eastern Samar.

From the Pacific Ocean, Duran said the slow-moving LPA will move westward again or toward the Visayas and may make landfall there.

PAGASA forecaster Connie Dadivas also gave a related forecast, saying the LPA may develop into a tropical depression by Thursday evening or Friday morning once it reaches Southern Palawan.

“Based on the models, by Thursday evening mag-intensify na yung LPA at maging bagyo dahil ang dadaanan nito maliliit na islands na may dagat at makakahatak ito ng lakas," Davidas was quoted as saying in a report from the state-run Philippine News Agency.

Dadivas said the LPA is expected to move down to southern Palawan before exiting toward the West Philippine Sea.

Based on PAGASA's forecast, the LPA will continue to bring moderate to occasionally heavy rainshowers and thunderstorms over the the regions of Bicol, Eastern and Central Visayas, Caraga and Northern Mindanao.

The regions of Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Western Visayas and the rest of Mindanao will have cloudy skies with light to moderate rainshowers and thunderstorms.

Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon will have cloudy skies and isolated rains.