LPA spotted near Mindanao enters PAR; hotter days ahead
A low pressure area (LPA) being monitored by the weather bureau has entered the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) and is expected to move closer to land in the coming days.
As of 3 p.m. Monday, the LPA was located 735 kilometers east of Davao City and is embedded in the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ), or the area where winds from the northern and southern hemispheres meet.
Weather specialist Veronica Torres said that the trough or extension of the LPA will bring cloudy skies along with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms over the Caraga and Davao region.
The rest of Mindanao as well as Palawan will also experience cloudy skies, rain showers and thunderstorms due to the effects of the ITCZ, added Torres.
On the other hand, Metro Manila and the rest of the country will experience fair and warm weather, with chances of localized thunderstorms in the afternoon, as they continue to be affected by the easterlies, or the warm winds coming from the Pacific Ocean.
Dangerous heat levels
Based on data gathered as of 5 p.m. on Monday, 18 cities and municipalities will experience “dangerous” levels of heat index on Tuesday, with the number rising to 21 areas by Wednesday, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).
The highest heat index was forecast at Sangley Point in Cavite City, Cavite, which is expected to reach 45 degrees Celsius on Tuesday until Wednesday. This was followed by Pasay City in Metro Manila, where the heat index is expected to reach 44 C during the same period.
Baguio City and La Trinidad in Benguet, on the other hand, will continue to have the lowest heat index in the country, measuring at 28 C for both areas from Tuesday to Wednesday.
Pagasa has warned that “dangerous” levels of heat index may lead to heat cramps and heat exhaustion, and continued exposure could result in heatstroke.
