MANILA, Philippines – The state weather bureau is not ruling out the possibility of the low pressure area (LPA) off Mindanao developing into a tropical depression, it said on Friday morning, April 8.

The LPA has been dumping moderate to heavy rain for days, especially in Mindanao and the Visayas.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in its 11 am bulletin on Friday that the LPA was located 375 kilometers east of Surigao City, still embedded along the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ).

Rain from both the LPA and the ITCZ will persist on Friday.

Moderate to heavy rain

• Catanduanes
• Albay
• Sorsogon
• Eastern Visayas
• Surigao del Norte
• Agusan del Norte
• northern part of Surigao del Sur
• Dinagat Islands

Light to moderate rain, with at times heavy rain

• southern part of Quezon
• Romblon
• Marinduque
• rest of Bicol
• rest of Visayas
• rest of Mindanao

PAGASA warned that scattered floods and rain-induced landslides are likely, especially in areas where it has been raining for days, since the soil in those places would already be saturated.

If the LPA develops into a tropical depression, it would be the Philippines’ first tropical cyclone for 2022 and would be given the local name Agaton.

The weather bureau also said earlier on Friday that the northeasterly surface windflow could trigger moderate to heavy rain in these areas:

• Cagayan Valley
• Apayao
• Kalinga
• Ifugao
• Mountain Province
• Aurora

Meanwhile, Metro Manila will only have isolated rain showers or thunderstorms on Friday.

Tropical Storm Malakas

PAGASA also continues to monitor a tropical cyclone outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).

The tropical cyclone intensified from a tropical depression into a tropical storm on Friday, and was given the international name Malakas. The Philippines contributed this name to the list.

Tropical Storm Malakas was over 2,000 kilometers east of Mindanao on Friday morning. PAGASA earlier said it could enter PAR by Monday, April 11.

So far, Malakas is not seen to have a direct effect on weather in the Philippines, but PAGASA advised the public to continue monitoring updates. – Rappler.com