Pagasa: ALPA off north Luzon may become cyclone

MANILA, Philippines - MANILA, Philippines - State weather forecasters are keeping watch on an active low-pressure (ALPA) area off Northern Luzon that may intensify into a cyclone. But Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration forecaster Gener Quitlong said the disturbance is not likely to make a landfall. "Kung maging bagyo ito, papangalanan itong ‘Gorio’ [If it intensifies into a cyclone, we will name it Gorio)," he said in an interview on dzBB radio. Pagasa said that as of 2 a.m., the ALPA was estimated at 890 km east of northern Luzon, while an intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) is affecting the Visayas and Mindanao. "Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao will experience mostly cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms. The rest of the country will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms mostly in the afternoon or evening," it said in its 5 a.m. bulletin. The last tropical storm to hit the country was “Feria," which entered the Philippine area of responsibility on June 23. Official data from the National Disaster Coordinating Council showed that damage to properties caused by Feria exceeded P200 million - broken down as: P41.722 million in agriculture and P149.05 million in infrastructure. A total of 21,949 families or 99,357 individuals from 307 villages in 17 provinces in Southern Luzon, Western, Central and Eastern Visayas, Bicol and Metro Manila were affected. The death toll stood at 10. - GMANews.TV