By Alec Go
The low pressure area (LPA) monitored at 1,265 kilometers (km) east of Central Luzon at 3:00 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 22, has no direct effect on the country’s weather conditions.
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) weather forecaster Benison Estareja said the LPA may begin to bring rains over portions of Luzon over the weekend.
“Nakikita natin within the next 24 hours ay mananatili malapit lamang dito sa ating PAR [Philippine Area of Responsibility] line sa silangan ng Luzon. Pero simula bukas hanggang weekend, unti-unting lalapit na ito sa malaking bahagi ng Luzon,” he said.
“As early as Saturday, posibleng magpaulan na ito dito sa silangang parte, particularly sa may Calabarzon, Bicol Region, at dito rin sa malaking bahagi ng Visayas,” he added.
The LPA may intensify into a tropical depression over the weekend. It will be designated its local name “Karding”.
For Thursday’s weather, partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms will prevail over Metro Manila and the rest of the country due to the southwest monsoon (habagat).
“Ang nakaaapekto sa ngayon sa bansa ay habagat pa rin na bahagyang pinalalakas ng mga weather disturbances sa may Central and Southern Luzon,” Estareja said.
Meanwhile, PAGASA is currently monitoring a tropical depression northeast of extreme northern Luzon outside PAR at 1,775 km away with maximum sustained winds of 45 km per hour and gustiness of 55 km per hour. It will not have any effect on the country’s weather.
Another monitored LPA more than 2,000 km east of Visayas will not directly affect the country until the weekend.