LPA, southwest monsoon bring scattered rain, thunderstorms to parts of PH
MANILA, Philippines – A low pressure area (LPA) and the southwest monsoon or habagat are triggering rain in parts of the Philippines on Wednesday, July 12.
The LPA, which formed inside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Tuesday, July 11, was located 510 kilometers east northeast of Virac, Catanduanes, early Wednesday.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the LPA is heading northwest toward Northern Luzon.
It will be pulling the southwest monsoon, which is causing rain in several western areas of the country following a monsoon break that lasted around two weeks and brought hotter days.
Due to the LPA and the southwest monsoon, the following areas have scattered rain showers and thunderstorms on Wednesday:
- Bicol
- Mimaropa
- Quezon
- Western Visayas
- Zamboanga Peninsula
- Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
- Soccsksargen
The rest of the country will only have isolated rain, either due to the southwest monsoon or localized thunderstorms.
PAGASA is not ruling out the possibility of the LPA developing into a tropical cyclone in the coming days.
If it becomes a tropical cyclone, it would be the country’s fourth for 2023 and the first for July. Its local name would be Dodong.
The weather bureau earlier said two to four tropical cyclones may form inside or enter PAR in July.
While El Niño is already underway in the tropical Pacific, PAGASA has warned that the southwest monsoon could bring more rain from July to September. Possible dry spells and droughts due to El Niño may be felt by the fourth quarter of 2023. – Rappler.com