LPA, ITCZ to bring cloudy skies, scattered rains over parts of the country

A low pressure area (LPA) and the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) will affect parts of the country, according to weather bureau PAGASA on Thursday.

PAGASA said the LPA was spotted 180 kilometers east northeast of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur, at 3 p.m.

A tropical cyclone outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) was also being monitored by the weather bureau.

PAGASA said it was last spotted 2,440 kilometers east of Mindanao. It has maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 70 kph.

It was moving west northwestward at 15 kph.

Based on its 4 p.m. weather forecast, Visayas, Mindanao, MIMAROPA, Bicol Region, and Quezon will experience cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms with possible flash floods or landslides during moderate to at times heavy rains because of the LPA and ITCZ. 

Cagayan Valley, Apayao, Kalinga, Ifugao, Mountain Province, and Aurora will have cloudy skies with rains due to the northeasterly surface windflow.

The Ilocos Region, Abra, and Benguet will experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated light rains.

Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms with possible flash floods or landslides during severe thunderstorms.

The wind speed forecast for Luzon and Visayas is moderate to strong, while coastal water conditions will be moderate to rough.

Mindanao will both experience moderate wind speeds and coastal water conditions. —Richa Noriega/VBL, GMA News