ITCZ to cause rain showers over most parts of the country; tropical depression may enter PAR

An Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) is affecting Palawan and Mindanao on Wednesday and will cause rain showers over parts of the country, PAGASA said in its weather forecast.

Palawan, Western Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi will have cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms due to the ITCZ. Flash floods or landslides may result due to moderate to at times heavy rains.

Metro Manila and the rest of the country meanwhile will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms due to the ITCZ and localized thunderstorms. During severe thunderstorms, flash floods or landslides may occur.

PAGASA is also monitoring a tropical depression outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).

At 4 a.m., the tropical depression was located 1,525 km east of Extreme Northern Luzon, according to DOST-PAGASA weather specialist Grace Castañeda during a briefing.

It has maximum sustained winds of 55 km/h near the center and gustiness of up to 70 km/h.

The tropical depression is moving southward at 20 km/h and may enter PAR on Wednesday night or Thursday morning.

Once inside PAR, the tropical cyclone will be called Inday.

Castañeda said that once inside PAR, the tropical depression may generally move northwestward, and within 36 hours, it may intensify into a tropical storm.

Since it may still intensify while traversing the seas, it may then become a typhoon by Sunday.

The tropical depression has no direct effect on the country for now and it is not expected to make landfall.

However, it may affect the seas of Extreme Northern Luzon.

On Wednesday, coastal waters will still be slight to moderate throughout the country.

Sunrise was at 5:44 a.m. while sunset will be at 6:04 p.m. —KG, GMA News