The low pressure area (LPA) east of Mindanao may enter the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) on Saturday, Dec. 16, the State weather bureau said in its public weather forecast on Friday afternoon, Dec. 15.

Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) weather specialist Aldczar Aurelio said the LPA was seen 1,235 kilometers east-southeast of southeastern Mindanao at 4 p.m.

He said the weather disturbance has the potential to develop into a tropical depression as it moves closer to the country.

Once it becomes a tropical depression inside the PAR, it will be given the local name “Kabayan.”

However, PAGASA said in an earlier forecast that whether it becomes a tropical depression or remains an LPA, it is expected to bring heavy rains to Visayas and Mindanao, particularly the eastern parts by Sunday, Dec. 17.

Meanwhile, the northeast monsoon, locally known as “amihan,” may bring partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated light rains to the Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, Cagayan Valley, and Central Luzon over the next 24 hours.

The rest of the country will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms due to the easterlies and localized thunderstorms.

Weather outlook for the week

From Dec. 17 to 19, PAGASA said Caraga and Eastern Visayas may experience cloudy skies with scattered to widespread rains, while the rest of Visayas and Mindanao may have mostly cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms due to the LPA.

“Flooding and landslides may occur in these areas,” PAGASA warned.

Meanwhile, scattered rains and thunderstorms may prevail over the Bicol region and Quezon province due to the shear line—a weather system formed by the convergence of cold northeasterly winds and warm easterly winds.

The rest of the country may experience mostly cloudy skies with light rains due to the surge of amihan.

From Dec. 20 to 22, PAGASA said mostly cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms brought about by the shear line may prevail over Quezon, Aurora, Isabela, and Cagayan, including Babuyan Islands.

The Ilocos Region and Cordillera Administrative Region will be mostly cloudy with light rains due to amihan, while the rest of the country will have isolated rain showers or thunderstorms because of the easterlies or localized thunderstorms.