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Tropical depression spotted outside PAR; cyclone trough, shear line, 'amihan' to bring rains
Tropical depression spotted outside PAR; cyclone trough, shear line, 'amihan' to bring rains
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) on Sunday, Dec. 22 said a tropical depression had been spotted outside the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR), south of Palawan.
As of 3 a.m., the tropical depression was located 620 kilometers south of Pag-asa Island, Kalayaan, Palawan.
It had maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour and gusts reaching 70 kph and is moving north-northeastward at 20 kph.
PAGASA Weather Specialist Obet Badrina noted that the possibility of the tropical depression entering PAR remains, and wind signals may be raised, particularly over the Kalayaan Islands.
If it enters the PAR, it will be named “Romina,” likely the 18th and last cyclone inside enter the region in 2024.
In the next 24 hours, Badrina said the trough or extension of the tropical depression may bring cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms over Zamboanga Peninsula, Palawan, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi.
He added that the shear line and northeast monsoon (amihan) will continue to bring rains over a large portion of Luzon and Visayas.
Cloudy skies with scattered rains and isolated thunderstorms may prevail over Visayas, Bicol Region, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Dinagat Islands due to the shear line—formed by the collision of cold winds from the amihan and warm winds from the easterlies.
Metro Manila, Cagayan Valley, Cordillera Administrative Region, and Central Luzon may also experience cloudy skies and rains caused by the amihan.
PAGASA warned that flash floods and landslides could occur in areas affected by the three weather systems, particularly during moderate to heavy rainfall.
Meanwhile, the amihan may have minimal impact on the rest of Luzon, where only partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated light rains are expected.
Partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated light amihan rains may also persist in the rest of Luzon.
The rest of Mindanao will experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms due to the trough of the tropical depression.