Potential tropical cyclone spotted off Mindanao

MANILA, Philippines - Cloudy skies with isolated rains are expected throughout the country today as a low pressure area (LPA) threatens Mindanao while the northeast monsoon continues to affect Luzon and Visayas, the state weather bureau said.

In its 24-hour public weather forecast, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the LPA was located at 530 kilometers east of General Santos City.

The agency said the regions of Caraga and Davao will experience cloudy skies with light to moderate rainshowers and thunderstorms while the rest of Mindanao will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms.

The regions of Cordillera and Cagayan Valley and the provinces of Aurora and Quezon will have cloudy skies with light rains. Metro Manila, the rest of Luzon and Visayas will experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated light rains.

PAGASA said moderate to strong winds from the northeast will prevail over Luzon, Visayas and Eastern Mindanao and the coastal waters along these areas will be moderate to rough.

Elsewhere, winds will be light to moderate coming from the northeast with slight to moderate seas.

In a report by state-run Philippine News Agency, PAGASA weather forecaster Aldczar Aurelio said the LPA has slim chance to intensify into a tropical depression since it is expected to dissipate in the next 48 hours due to cold winds of the northeast monsoon.