PAGASA monitors potential cyclone outside PHL

State weather forecasters are monitoring a low-pressure area that might become the first cyclone to enter Philippine territory this year. The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the LPA may enter Philippine territory this weekend. "The LPA is not yet active but it is already a full one. It is still outside the Philippine area of responsibility as of Friday but it is closely following a shallow low-pressure area (SLPA) already in Philippine territory," PAGASA forecaster Joel Jesusa said in an interview on dzBB radio. Should the LPA eventually become a cyclone in Philippine territory, it will be codenamed "Amang." Jesusa said the SLPA that the LPA is tailing is at 900 km east of Davao City. "Yung isa maaring bukas o kamakalawa pumasok, medyo may kabagalan pa ito (The LPA may enter Philippine territory Saturday or Sunday. It is moving slowly)," he said. Weather-watching site Typhoon2000 said the formation of a tropical cyclone near Palau Islands and the Southern Philippine Sea "remains possible within the next 24 to 48 hours." It said the 48-hour tropical cyclone formation potential remains at 50 percent. Meanwhile, PAGASA said that as of 2 a.m. Friday, "Visayas and Mindanao will experience mostly cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and isolated thunderstorms. The rest of the country will be partly cloudy to at times cloudy with isolated light rains." — LBG, GMA News