Low pressure area spotted off Mindanao

State weather forecasters are keeping watch over a low-pressure area (LPA) that was spotted off Mindanao Sunday afternoon. The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the LPA was estimated at 640 km east of Southern Mindanao as of 2 p.m. While Pagasa did not say if the LPA will intensify into a cyclone, Bicol-based weather site Typhoon2000 said a tropical cyclone formation "is likely along the Southern Philippine Sea within the next 12 to 48 hours." If the LPA intensifies into a cyclone, it will be code-named "Basyang." The first cyclone to pass through Philippine territory, "Agaton," did not directly affect any part of the country last March. PAGASA, meanwhile, said the tail-end of a cold front is affecting northern Luzon and the eastern section of Central Luzon. "Northern Luzon and the eastern sections of Central Luzon will experience mostly cloudy skies with scattered light rains. The rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms," it said. Moderate to strong winds blowing from the northeast to east will prevail over Luzon and the coastal waters along these areas will be moderate to rough. Elsewhere, light to moderate winds blowing from the east and northeast will prevail with slight to moderate seas. —KBK, GMANews.TV