The first low pressure area (LPA) haunting December left the Philippine Area of Responsibility (LPA) yesterday morning but left rains that flooded some areas in Bohol.
The downpour lasted for three hours in some areas and four to five hours in other areas, enough to flood several areas- -especially those that had not yet recovered from last Friday’s heavy rains.
There had been no reported damage though.
Just as the LPA left PAR, another one entered and developed into a tropical depression, and called Tropical Depression “Usman”.
The low pressure area entered the PAR yesterday morning and developed into a tropical depression.
At 3 p.m. yesterday, the center of Tropical Depression “Usman” was estimated at 955 kilometers east of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur with maximum sustained winds of 45 kilometers per hour (km/h) near the center and gustiness of up to 60 km/h.
TD Usman is the 21sttropical cyclone for 2018 and is moving northwest at 20 km/h.
According to Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), it may make landfall on Friday in Samar-Bicol area.
Some areas in Bohol province have been flooded due to six-hour heavy rains brought by low pressure area (LPA).
Barangays Lobogon and Guinsularan in Duero town were flooded, according to Jeffrey Peligro, a Danao village councilor. He also said heavy rains began around 5 a.m. Thursday and continued until around noon.
In Barangay Lobogon, rice fields were inundated while a bunkhouse was washed out.
Meanwhile, waist-deep flood hit Barangay Guinsularan.
According to Peligro, no one was reported hurt due to the flood, which has started to recede.
In Batuan town, heavy rains also flooded Barangay Poblacion Sur as well as several rice fields in Barangay Lungsod-daan in Candijay town.
Meanwhile, northeast monsoon is now affecting extreme northern Luzon and spared.
While no forecast that it would affect Visayas, the eastern sections of Visayas and of Mindanao experienced moderate to strong winds from northeast heading northwest, and moderate to rough seas with wave height of 2.1 meters to 3.4 meters.
Tagbilaran City had cloudy skies with rainshowers and thunderstorm.
In PAGASA’s earlier forecast, one to two tropical cyclones would enter PAR in in December.
TD “Usman” may spare Bohol from its track, but it will affect neighboring provinces in Eastern Visayas, Caraga region, and Bicol.
The first LPA that had just left PAR but brought heavy rains to Bohol last Friday was taken over by the diffused tail end of a cold front which affected eastern and central parts of the Visayas, southern Luzon, Caraga and northern Mindanao.
Cloudy with light rains affected the whole of Visayas, Caraga, northern Mindanao, Davao region, Bicol region, some parts of Calabarzon, and Mimaropa.
By this morning, the LPA is estimated to be 650 kilometers west of Zambales which is already outside PAR.
The new LPA that developed into TD “Usman” was spotted 1,140 kilometers east of southeastern Mindanao yesterday and is expected to be 780 kilometers today.
It is only expected to bring partly cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers and thunderstorms mostly along the eastern portion of the country.
Only Zambales, Bataan, Cavite, Batangas, Laguna, National Capital Region and Metro Manila are expected to experience “partly cloudy to cloudy periods with scattered light to moderate rainshowers and thunderstorms while extreme Northern Luzon will be cloudy with light rains” today.
PAGASA estimated that by tomorrow and Friday, the diffused tail end of a cold front may affect Northern Luzon, Is (with reports from Leo Udtohan)