MANILA – Rains from the trough of low-pressure area (LPA) east of Mindanao may trigger flooding and landslide there, the Visayas and Region V (Bicol).
"The risk for both dangerous events is increasing in those areas," said Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) hydrologist Max Peralta on Monday.
He said communities in those areas must prepare accordingly as the trough already began dumping rain in Mindanao's Region XIII (Caraga) and the Visayas' Region VIII (Eastern Visayas).
The trough will still move and bring rain to other parts of Mindanao and the Visayas as well as Bicol, he noted.
In its daily weather forecast, PAGASA located an LPA around 580 kilometers east of Mindanao's Davao City as of 3 a.m. on Monday.
PAGASA forecast cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms in the Visayas, Bicol, Caraga, Region X (Northern Mindanao) and Region XI (Davao) due to the LPA's trough.
The trough will likely affect these areas until around Tuesday (Feb. 9), said PAGASA weather forecaster Robb Gile.
"Moderate to heavy rainfall is possible in those areas' eastern sections," he said.
He also said light to moderate with at times heavy rainfall is likely in other sections of those areas.
PAGASA noted some of the trough's expected thunderstorms can be severe enough to bring moderate to heavy rainfall.
Such rainfall can cause flooding and landslides particularly in high-risk areas, noted Gile.
He, however, said it is unlikely for the LPA to intensify into a tropical cyclone.
Peralta said people near waterways in Caraga and Eastern Visayas must be alert to possible overflows in some of these channels.
"Even small waterways can overflow due to rain from the LPA's trough," he said.
According to PAGASA, major Caraga waterways that can be affected are Surigao del Norte province's Surigao and Magallanes rivers; Agusan del Sur province's Ojot, Wawa, Libang, Maosam, Kasilan, Gibong, Adgaoan, Simulao, Kayonan and Andanan; Dinagat Islands province's Malinao Inlet and Gaas Lulet; Surigao del Sur province's Cantillan, Toracan, Tandag, Tago, Hubo-Oteiza, Hinatuan, and Bislig; as well as Agusan del Norte province's Lake-Mainit-Tubay, Asiga, Agusan, Linugos, and Cabadbaran.
PAGASA added that in Eastern Visayas, the major waterways that can be affected are Northern Samar province's Catarman, Bugko, Pambujan, Catubig, Palapag, Mawo and Gamay rivers; Leyte province's Sangputan, Palo, Solano (Quilot), Daguitan Marabang, Cadac-an, Bongquirogon, Salug, Pagbangahan, Pagsangahan and Binahaan; Samar province's Basey, Silanga, Calbiga and Jibatan; Eastern Samar province's Oras, Dolores, Ulot, Taft, Borongan, Suribao, Llorente, Balangiga and Sulat; Southern Leyte province's Bisay, Himbangan and Pandan; as well as all rivers and its tributaries in Biliran province. (PNA)
