MANILA – The country may expect either none or one tropical cyclone this month, a senior weather specialist of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Thursday.
Chris Perez of PAGASA said zero to one tropical cyclone is expected to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility for the rest of January.
"In terms of low pressure area (LPA), so far, we have already monitored two. We are not ruling out the possibility of having a tropical cyclone before the month ends due to LPA that may affect the country," he said in a public briefing.
Currently, PAGASA is monitoring an LPA last tracked 230 km. east southeast of Butuan City in Agusan del Norte province.
This LPA, Perez said, has a slim chance of developing into a tropical cyclone.
However, due to its slow movement towards the Visayas and Mindanao areas, he said this LPA may bring rains over parts of these islands and Southern Luzon area in the next two to three days.
Those residing in those areas are advised to monitor the localized rainfall advisory from the PAGASA regional services division. They are also urged to coordinate with their local government and disaster risk reduction officials for preparedness and mitigation measures.
Perez said Eastern and Central Visayas, the northeastern part of Mindanao and a portion of Bicol Region are forecast to continue experiencing rains in the next three days due to the combined effects of the LPA and the shear line.
Meanwhile, Perez said the country is still experiencing La Niña, which makes some areas in the country to experience above normal rainfall. La Niña is expected to end in February.
Neutral and normal climate condition may prevail after that, he said. (PNA)
