Weather: Active LPA nears Mindanao, PAGASA says Flash floods and landslides threaten Bicol and parts of Visayas and Mindanao in the next 24 hours as a potential cyclone — an active low-pressure area (ALPA) — moved closer to Mindanao Wednesday afternoon. The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the ALPA was estimated at 400 km east of Mindanao as of 2 p.m. "Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao will experience cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms becoming widespread rains over Mindanao, Bicol region, and over Eastern and Central Visayas which may trigger flash floods and landslides," PAGASA said in its 5 p.m. bulletin. It said the rest of Luzon will be mostly cloudy with light rain. Also, it said moderate to strong winds blowing from the southeast to northeast will prevail over northern Luzon and from the east to northeast over the rest of the country. The coastal waters throughout the archipelago will be moderate to rough. PAGASA also said strong to gale-force winds associated with the northeast monsoon may affect the northern seaboard of Northern Luzon. "Fishing boats and other small seacrafts are advised not to venture out into the sea while larger sea vessels are alerted against big waves," it said. OCD ready for preemptive evacuation in bicol Earlier Wednesday, regional civil defense officials in Bicol said they are coordinating with PAGASA on whether to conduct preemptive evacuation in flood-prone areas. Office of Civil Defense-Bicol head Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV said they had been advised that heavy rain might fall as early as Wednesday morning. "Naka-alert ang barangay natin, naghihintay tayo. Pag landslide tingnan natin rate ng rainfall, pag may pressure binabantayan doon [para mag-start] ang evacuation," he said in an interview on dzBB radio. He said the initial forecast had prompted Albay Governor Jose Salceda to suspend classes up to high school level for Wednesday. "Tayo naman nagmo-monitor at naka-prepare ang response natin naka-ready, ready for any eventuality," Alejandro said Source:- http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/stor...weather-active-lpa-nears-mindanao-pagasa-says
