Rain showers may dampen parts of the country as a low pressure area (LPA) has moved inland over the Philippines on Thursday.
In its 5 a.m. weather bulletin issued on Thursday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) located the LPA over the coastal waters of San Pascual, Masbate.
Weather specialist Loriedin dela Cruz said the LPA is generally moving westward and will traverse Southern Luzon.
The LPA and the southwest monsoon or "habagat" may bring scattered rain showers and thunderstorms over Metro Manila, Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan, Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Sorsogon, Masbate, Visayas, and Mindanao.
PAGASA warned of possible flash floods or landslides due to scattered light to moderate to at times heavy rains over these areas.
Dela Cruz said the LPA has a chance of developing into a tropical depression once it reaches the West Philippine Sea.
However, she noted that it may no longer have a direct effect over the country by the time it becomes a tropical cyclone.
Meanwhile, the northeasterly surface wind flow, a precursor to the cold weather-associated northeast monsoon or "amihan," may bring partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated light rains over Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Abra, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Apayao, Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, and Quirino.
A gale warning was issued on Thursday due to possible strong to gale force winds triggered by the northeasterly surface wind flow.
Rough to very rough sea conditions are expected over the coasts of Batanes, Cagayan, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, and Isabela.
Those using fishing boats and other small boats should not set sail over these seaboards, while larger sea vessels should be on alert for big waves, PAGASA advised.