Rains are expected in Northern Mindanao, Visayas, and Palawan as the approaching low pressure area (LPA) over the Pacific Ocean may cross these areas next week, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said on Saturday afternoon, Jan. 22.
PAGASA weather specialist Raymond Ordinario said the LPA was last spotted at 1,130 kilometers east of Mindanao as of 2 p.m.
He said that the LPA may enter the country's area of responsibility any time between Saturday evening, Jan. 22, and Sunday morning, Jan. 23.
The country is seen to remain tropical cyclone-free at the start of the week, as the LPA is still less likely to develop into a tropical cyclone in the coming days, he added.
However, Ordinario said the LPA may bring rains over northern Mindanao and Visayas by Monday until Tuesday, Jan. 24 to 25, and possibly in Palawan by Wednesday until Thursday, Jan. 26 to 27.
In the next 24 hours, the trough or extension of the LPA is already expected to bring cloudy skies and scattered rain showers and thunderstorms over Caraga and Eastern Visayas.
PAGASA advised the public to stay vigilant due to the occurrence of moderate to, at times, heavy rains that could trigger flooding or landslides in areas vulnerable to these hazards.
Meanwhile, the northeast monsoon, locally called "amihan," will still prevail over Northern and Central Luzon.
Cloudy skies with rains may affect Cagayan Valley, Cordillera Administrative Region, Aurora, and Quezon, while partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated light rains may persist in Metro Manila, Ilocos Region, and the rest of Central Luzon.
The rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.