LPA east of PH develops into tropical depression, to enter PAR on Thursday

MANILA — The low pressure area east of the country developed into a tropical depression Tuesday afternoon, according to PAGASA.

At 4 p.m., it was located 1,870 kilometers east of southeastern Luzon, outside the Philippine area of responsibility.

It has maximum winds of 45 kilometers per hour with gustiness up to 55 kph. It is moving northward at 15 kph.

The tropical depression’s trough or extension is bringing scattered rains over Central and Eastern Visayas, Caraga, Davao Region, and parts of Bicol Region and Northern Mindanao.

The weather disturbance may enter the PAR on Thursday, September 24, and will be assigned the local name Queenie – the first storm inside the PAR this September and the seventeenth overall this year.

Queenie will continuously intensify up to typhoon strength while moving northwestward over the Philippine Sea.

It may approach the Extreme Northern Luzon by weekend, when it may also begin pulling the southwest monsoon or Habagat over the western sections of the country.

Meanwhile, a weak Habagat is affecting Palawan. Metro Manila and the rest of the country will continue to experience sunny and warm conditions, with possible afternoon or evening thunderstorms through Friday.

In the past years, the Habagat season ended during the first half of October. A period of warm weather due to the prevalence of the Easterlies will follow, before the start of the northeast monsoon or Amihan.