A low-pressure area (LPA), which has a moderate chance of developing into a tropical cyclone, may enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) this weekend, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said on Saturday, Aug. 29.

According to PAGASA weather specialist Veronica Torres, the LPA outside PAR was last spotted at 3 a.m. about 1,080 kilometers east of extreme Northern Luzon.

“Ito ngang low-pressure area na ito ay katamtaman ‘yung tiyansa na maging isang ganap na bagyo. And then, possible din na pumasok ito ng ating area of responsibility this weekend (This low-pressure area has a moderate chance of developing into a tropical cyclone. It may also enter our area of responsibility this weekend),” she said.

“Kaya patuloy pa rin tayong mag-antabay sa mga update ng PAGASA (That is why we should continue monitoring updates from PAGASA),” she added.

PAGASA, meanwhile, is also monitoring another LPA inside PAR, which was last located about 520 kilometers north-northeast of Itbayat, Batanes, as of 3 a.m.

Torres noted that the LPA was already near the PAR boundary and could leave the country’s monitoring area within the next few hours or days.

“Nakikita nga natin na napakalapit na nga nitong low-pressure area na ito sa boundary ng ating PAR line at posibleng lumabas na ng ating Philippine Area of Responsibility sa mga susunod na sandali o mga susunod na araw (We can see that this low-pressure area is already very close to the PAR boundary and may leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility within the next few hours or days),” she said.

The weather specialist said the LPA has a low chance of developing into a tropical cyclone within the next 24 hours.

“At if ever man maging bagyo ito, ito na ay nasa labas ng ating area of responsibility (If it develops into a tropical cyclone, it will already be outside our area of responsibility),” said Torres.

The state weather bureau said the southwest monsoon, locally called “habagat,” continues to affect Luzon and the Visayas.

“Samantala, ‘yung southwest monsoon o habagat ay patuloy pa rin ang epekto sa Luzon pati na rin sa Visayas, kaya asahan nga natin ‘yung mga malalakas na pag-ulan dala pa rin ng southwest monsoon, mostly sa western sections ng Luzon (Meanwhile, the southwest monsoon or habagat continues to affect Luzon and the Visayas, so we can expect heavy rains brought by the southwest monsoon, mostly over the western sections of Luzon),” she said.

In Heavy Rainfall Warning No. 13 issued at 5 a.m. on Saturday, PAGASA placed Bataan, Zambales, Pampanga, and a portion of Bulacan under a red rainfall warning due to rains brought by the southwest monsoon.

Metro Manila, Rizal, Cavite, and portions of Tarlac, Bulacan, Batangas, and Laguna were under an orange warning, while portions of Tarlac, Laguna, and Batangas were placed under a yellow warning.

Per PAGASA, a red warning means serious flooding is expected in flood-prone areas, while an orange warning indicates that flooding is threatening and a yellow warning means flooding is possible.