PAGASA keeps track of new LPA off Mindanao

State weather forecasters are keeping track of a new potential cyclone that may bring flash floods and landslides to parts of Eastern Mindanao Tuesday. The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said the low-pressure area was some 490 km east of Southern Mindanao as of 2 a.m. "May isang namumuong sama ng panahon, medyo sa loob ng Philippine area of responsibility (We are keeping watch over the new weather disturbance, it is now in the Philippine area of responsibility)," PAGASA forecaster Elvie Enriquez said in an interview on dzBB radio. She said that while the LPA has a low chance of becoming a cyclone at this time, they are not discounting the possibility it will become the fifth cyclone in Philippine territory this year. If the LPA intensifies into a cyclone while inside Philippine territory, she said it will be codenamed "Egay." "Maliit ang chance maging tropical cyclone pero hindi natin pwede i-discount. hindi natin pwede maalis yan (So far we see a small chance of it becoming a cyclone. But we cannot discount that possibility)," Enriquez said. Meanwhile, Philippine weather site Typhoon2000 said the LPA off Puerto Princesa City has crossed Palawan and is now off the West Philippine Sea. * Flash floods, landslides PAGASA's 5 a.m. bulletin said that as of 2 a.m., the new LPA off Mindanao was estimated at 490 km east of Southern Mindanao and embedded along the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) affecting Southern Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao. "Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao will experience mostly cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms becoming cloudy with widespread rains over Eastern Mindanao which may trigger flash floods and landslides," it said. The rest of Luzon will have partly cloudy to at times cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms mostly in the afternoon or evening. — RSJ, GMA News