PAGASA: LPA off North Luzon to bring relief from summer heat

A low-pressure area (LPA) northwest of extreme northern Luzon will bring some extended relief from the summer heat, but state weather forecasters said it is not likely to intensify into a cyclone. The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the LPA was estimated at 450 km northwest of Basco, Batanes as of 2 a.m. "Sa ngayon medyo mahina ang tsansa niyan pero ang kaulapan ay magdudulot makulimlim na kalangitan sa buong Luzon kasama na ang Metro Manila (Chances of the LPA intensifying into a cyclone are slim but the LPA will bring cloudy skies to Luzon including Metro Manila)," PAGASA forecaster Rommel Yutuc said in an interview on dzBB radio. PAGASA's extended forecast indicated a "cooler" temperature range of 27 to 34 degrees Celsius for Metro Manila, and 23 to 36 degrees for Tuguegarao City. Metro Manila residents had experienced a sweltering 38 degrees Celsius Wednesday. However, rains fell on some parts of the metropolis Thursday morning. Meanwhile, PAGASA said an Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) will also bring rains to Mindanao. "Luzon and Mindanao will experience mostly cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms. The rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms mostly in the afternoon or evening," it said in its 5 a.m. bulletin. PNP prepares for rainy season Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police drew up its own disaster preparedness plan for the rainy season in June. PNP chief Director General Jesus Verzosa activated Letter of Instruction “Saklolo," an updated and enhanced plan of action of the PNP on disaster preparedness and response management. “The lessons learned from our experience in the series of weather disturbances in 2009, particularly during the onslaught of Storm Ondoy (Ketsana) and Typhoon Pepeng (Parma), should prompt us to find more better ways of ensuring readiness to effectively address similar situations in the future," Verzosa said in an article on the PNP website. He said the PNP is activating its Disaster Response Plan ahead of time to allow concerned units time to prepare their equipment and resources, and to organize and train their personnel. Verzosa said the PNP Disaster Preparedness Plan is in line with the government’s declaration of Disaster Preparedness Month in July of each year. “With the rainy and stormy months expected until November, families and communities need to prepare themselves for any emergencies. Staying one step ahead of the next disaster is increasingly important," Verzosa said. The PNP Special Action Force, Maritime Group and Public Safety Management Forces have Search and Rescue Units capable of rapid deployment and quick response to disaster emergencies. Last year, the PNP acquired 75 inflatable boats and other special equipment for Search and Rescue Operations. Early this month, the PNP received a donation of 1,000 raincoats from the Manila Jaycees for use of PNP personnel in wet weather police operations. --LBG,GMANews.TV