Weather: Floods, landslides threaten North Luzon due to LPAs

At least two low-pressure areas threaten to trigger flash floods and landslides in parts of Northern Luzon, even as Mindanao faces cloudy skies with isolated rains, state weather forecasters said Thursday afternoon. The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the two LPAs were over Ilocos Norte and Batanes area as of 2 p.m. "Luzon and Visayas will experience mostly cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms becoming cloudy with widespread rains over Northern Luzon which may trigger flashfloods and landslides. Mindanao will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms," it said in its 5 p.m. bulletin. PAGASA said that as of 2 p.m., the first LPA was estimated at 220 km west of Laoag while the second LPA was estimated at 530 km northeast of Basco, Batanes. It added a monsoon trough continues to affect Luzon and Visayas. PAGASA did not say if the LPAs would intensify into a cyclone. Earlier Thursday, PAGASA forecaster Elvie Enriquez said it is possible one of the LPAs may become a cyclone but it would likely be leaving Philippine territory by then. Should the LPA become a cyclone while in Philippine territory, it will be codenamed "Goring." But weather site Typhoon2000 said its 7:04 p.m. update indicated that a tropical cyclone formation is possible along the sea south of Japan between July 11 and 14. Meanwhile, PAGASA said moderate to strong winds blowing from the Southwest will prevail over Luzon and Visayas and the coastal waters along these areas will be moderate to rough. Elsewhere, winds will be light to moderate coming from the Southwest with slight to moderate seas. — KBK, GMA News