Weather: Possible storm headed for Mindanao

Two low-pressure areas (LPAs) are now in Philippine territory, with both of them likely to intensify into a cyclone, state weather forecasters said Wednesday afternoon. Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) forecaster Gladys Saludes said the newer LPA has a greater chance of becoming a cyclone. "Parehas sila may chance maging bagyo (pero) mas mataas ang chance maging bagyo ng kapapasok (Both of them have a chance of becoming a cyclone but the newer one has the greater chance to become one)," Saludes said in a radio interview. She also said their models so far do not show any chance of the two LPAs merging as they are still far from each other. Weather site Typhoon2000 indicated both LPAs have a 20-percent chance of becoming a cyclone in the next 24 hours. Should any of the LPAs become a cyclone, it will be codenamed "Egay." PAGASA, for its part, said both LPAs may trigger flash floods and landslides on Mindanao and Palawan. In its 5 p.m. bulletin, PAGASA said that as of 2 p.m., the first LPA was estimated at 250 km east of Mindanao, while the second was estimated at 870 km east of Mindanao. Both are embedded along the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) affecting Visayas and Mindanao, it added. "Palawan, Visayas and Mindanao will experience mostly cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms becoming cloudy with widespread rains over Eastern Mindanao and Palawan which may trigger flashfloods and landslides," PAGASA said. The rest of Luzon will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms mostly in the afternoon or evening. Light to moderate winds blowing from the East to Southeast will prevail over Luzon and Eastern Visayas and coming from the Southwest to Southeast over the rest of the country. The coastal waters throughout the archipelago will be slight to moderate. - KBK, GMA News