The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) on Friday, July 29, said the low pressure area (LPA) east of extreme northern Luzon is “highly possible” to become a tropical depression within 24 hours.

As of 3 a.m., PAGASA had estimated the location of the LPA at 1,020 kilometers east of extreme northern Luzon.

Weather specialist Benison Estareja said once the LPA becomes a tropical depression, it will be given a local name “Ester.”

Ester will be the country’s fifth tropical cyclone for 2022.

Estareja said the LPA may not make any landfall, but along with another weather disturbance, it will enhance the effect of the southwest monsoon or habagat over Luzon and Visayas in the next few days.

PAGASA had estimated the location of a tropical storm at 1,715 kilometers east-northeast of extreme northern Luzon or outside the Philippine area of responsibility.

“Until early next week, we still have expected rains due to the habagat,” Estareja said.

In the next 24 hours, PAGASA said the combined effects of the LPA and southwest monsoon will bring scattered light to moderate with at times heavy rain showers and thunderstorms over Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan, Eastern Samar, Northern Samar, Samar, Zambales, Bataan, Aklan, Antique, and Bicol Region.

“Under these conditions, scattered flooding and rain-induced landslides are likely, especially in the areas that are highly or very highly susceptible to these hazards as identified in the hazards maps and in areas with significant antecedent rainfall,” PAGASA said in an advisory.

Meanwhile, the rest of the country will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.

PAGASA also warned against flash floods or landslides that may occur during severe thunderstorms, which are often accompanied by sudden heavy rains, lightning, thunder, gusty winds, and sometimes hail.