The low-pressure area (LPA) east of Luzon  intensified Saturday into tropical depression “Enteng,” the second tropical cyclone to form inside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) this month.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) estimated the location of Enteng at 420 kilometers (kms) east-northeast of Casiguran, Aurora or 445 kms east of Tuguegarao City, Cagayan around 10 a.m. Saturday.

It has maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 70 kph. It is moving north at 25 kph.

PAGASA said there is no tropical cyclone signal warning currently in effect but expects Enteng to bring light to moderate with at times heavy rains over Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Sorsogon, and Masbate within Saturday.

Rains may also prevail due to the southwest monsoon or “habagat” over Zambales, Bataan, Cavite, Batangas, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Romblon, northern Palawan, and Calamian, Cuyo, and Kalayaan Islands.

Occasional monsoon rains may also affect Pangasinan, Metro Manila, Aurora, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Marinduque, rest of Palawan, Laguna, Rizal, Quezon, Antique, Aklan, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, and Negros Occidental.

By Sunday, the enhanced southwest monsoon will continue to bring monsoon rains over Pangasinan, Zambales, Bataan, Bulacan, Metro Manila, Cavite, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Calamian Islands, and Kalayaan Islands, while occasional monsoon rains may prevail over the rest of Luzon and Western Visayas.

PAGASA weather specialist Raymond Ordinario said Enteng may not make landfall as it is seen to generally move north and will remain far from the Philippine landmass throughout the forecast period.

Enteng is forecast to move near or over the southern islands of the Ryukyu archipelago and exit the PAR  Sunday afternoon.

It is also likely to further intensify into a tropical storm with maximum wind speed of 62 kph to 88 kph by Sunday morning.

Ordinario said flooding and rain-induced landslide may occur during heavy or prolonged rainfall especially in areas that are highly or very highly susceptible to these hazards.

He advised the public and local disaster risk reduction and management offices concerned to regularly monitor rainfall or thunderstorm advisories and heavy rainfall warnings from PAGASA Regional Services Divisions for appropriate precautionary measures.

Those with small boats were also advised to take the necessary precautionary measures while sailing over the seaboards of Luzon and Visayas due to moderate to rough sea conditions.

Mindanao and the rest of Luzon will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with possible isolated rain showers, particularly in the afternoon or evening, from the habagat or localized thunderstorms.

PAGASA is also monitoring a new LPA at 280 kms west of Subic, Zambales before Saturday noon but it is less likely to develop into a tropical depression in the next 24 hours.