LPA unlikely to strengthen, but more monsoon rain seen

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MANILA, Philippines – The low pressure area (LPA) inside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) is unlikely to become a tropical depression, but the southwest monsoon or hanging habagat will continue to bring rain to Luzon on Tuesday, August 14.

In a Facebook Live video late Monday afternoon, August 13, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the LPA is already 920 kilometers east northeast of Basco, Batanes.

There is a chance that it will just dissipate within the next 12 to 24 hours.

Moderate to heavy monsoon rain, however, will hit the Ilocos Region, the Cordillera Administrative Region, Batanes, the Babuyan Group of Islands, Zambales, Bataan, and Occidental Mindoro on Tuesday.

The rest of Luzon will also have scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms due to the southwest monsoon. (READ: FAST FACTS: Tropical cyclones, rainfall advisories)

PAGASA advised residents of Luzon to stay on alert for floods and landslides. Massive floods already hit parts of Metro Manila and Rizal last weekend. (READ: #FloodPH: Things to do when you’re trapped, in need of rescue)

Classes in some areas are still suspended for Tuesday. (READ: #WalangPasok: Class suspensions, Tuesday, August 14)

The Visayas and Mindanao – not affected by the southwest monsoon – will only have localized thunderstorms. But flash floods and landslides are possible, too, if the rains become moderate to heavy.

A gale warning was issued for the western and northern coasts of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Zambales, Bataan, the western coast of Batangas, Occidental Mindoro, Batanes, and the Babuyan Group of Islands.

Seas off those areas are rough to very rough, with wave heights reaching 2.6 meters to 4.5 meters.

PAGASA advised fishermen and others with small vessels not to set sail in areas covered by the gale warning. Larger vessels should watch out for big waves.

Leepi, Bebinca

Meanwhile, Leepi, which is outside PAR, intensified from a tropical storm into a severe tropical storm on Monday afternoon. It now has maximum winds of 90 kilometers per hour (km/h) and gustiness of up to 115 km/h.

Leepi is located 1,820 kilometers east northeast of extreme Northern Luzon, moving northwest at 25 km/h. It remains unlikely to enter PAR due to its direction.

There’s also Tropical Storm Bebinca outside PAR, located 925 kilometers west of extreme Northern Luzon and slowly moving east southeast.

Bebinca continues to have maximum winds of 65 km/h and gustiness of up to 80 km/h. Like Leepi, it is unlikely to enter PAR.

So far, the Philippines has had 11 tropical cyclones in 2018. The country usually gets an average of 20 tropical cyclones per year. (READ: LIST: PAGASA’s names for tropical cyclones in 2018)

PAGASA declared the start of the rainy season last June 8. – Rappler.com