Weather: PAGASA monitors new weather disturbance

State weather forecasters have started monitoring a shallow low-pressure area (SLPA) that may bring rain to some parts of the country in the next 24 hours. The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the SLPA was estimated at 350 km east of Mindanao. In its 5 p.m. bulletin, PAGASA said the SLPA is embedded along the Intertropical Convergence Zone affecting Palawan and Mindanao. On the other hand, it said a wind convergence is affecting northern and Central Luzon. However, PAGASA did not say if the SLPA will eventually intensify into a cyclone. If it does, it will be codenamed "Sendong." "Northern and Central Luzon, Palawan, Eastern Visayas and Mindanao will experience mostly cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms. The rest of the country will have partly cloudy to at times cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms mostly in the afternoon or evening," PAGASA said. It added moderate to strong winds blowing from the northeast and east will prevail over Northern and Central Luzon and coming from the east to northeast over Southern Luzon. The coastal waters along these areas will be moderate to rough. Elsewhere, winds will be light to moderate coming from the east to northeast with slight to moderate seas. — KBK, GMA News