LPA strengthens into Tropical Depression Domeng

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MANILA, Philippines – The low pressure area (LPA) off Mindanao intensified into a tropical depression on Tuesday morning, June 5, becoming the Philippines’ 4th tropical cyclone for 2018. It has been given the local name Domeng.

In a bulletin issued past 11 am on Tuesday, PAGASA said Tropical Depression Domeng is located 675 kilometers east of Guiuan, Eastern Samar, moving north northwest at 14 kilometers per hour (km/h).

It has maximum winds of 45 km/h near the center and gustiness of up to 60 km/h.

There are no areas under tropical cyclone warning signals, but Domeng will bring moderate to heavy rain to Eastern Visayas, Central Visayas, Caraga, and Davao. Residents of these regions should be on alert for possible flash floods or landslides.

Domeng is also not expected to make landfall, since it is moving upward. But once it’s up north, it may “trigger the southwesterly surface windflow” and bring moderate to heavy rain over Mimaropa, Calabarzon, and Metro Manila between June 7 and 10.

Based on its latest forecast track, Domeng is expected to leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Sunday morning, June 10.

Aside from Domeng, there’s also an LPA inside PAR. This LPA is located 1,193 kilometers east of Luzon, still far from land. A more detailed forecast on this is expected to be given in the coming days.

PAGASA earlier said it might declare the official start of the rainy season between June 4 and 14.

For the onset of the rainy season to be declared, the requirement is 5 straight days of rain generating a total amount of at least 25 millimeters (mm) of rainfall. These 5 days must also include 3 straight days of at least 1 mm of rainfall. (READ: FAST FACTS: Tropical cyclones, rainfall advisories) – Rappler.com