ALPA near Mindanao threatens to become cyclone

A weather disturbance near Mindanao that has intensified into an active low-pressure area (ALPA) is threatening to turn into another tropical cyclone. Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) forecaster Elvie Enriquez said there is a chance the ALPA would intensify. In an interview on dzBB, she said the weather disturbance will be named “Ramil" should it develop into a cyclone, the 18th to enter Philippine territory this year. Earlier, Pagasa had said up to six more cyclones are due to enter Philippine territory before yearend. Cyclones “Ondoy" (Ketsana) and “Pepeng" (Parma) had devastated parts of the country since September 26, while “Quedan" (Melor) caused “Pepeng" to stay in northern Luzon for a week of rampage. Radio dzBB reported that as of 5 a.m., the ALPA was estimated at 560 km east of Northern Mindanao. “Visayas and Mindanao including Palawan will experience cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms. The rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms mostly in the afternoon or evening," Pagasa said in its 5 a.m. bulletin. - GMANews.TV