Manila: A low pressure area (LPA) outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) has a high chance of developing into a tropical cyclone in the next 24 hours, the weather bureau said.

According to Philippines News Agency, the LPA was last tracked 965 km east northeast of extreme Northern Luzon, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) reported in a bulletin issued at 4 p.m. Thursday. PAGASA weather specialist Leanne Loreto mentioned that the bureau does not expect the LPA to have a direct effect on any part of the country.

Loreto added that the LPA is likely to enter PAR and immediately exit. Once it develops into a tropical depression and enters the PAR, it will be designated with the local name ‘Fabian’. PAGASA is anticipating two to three tropical cyclones in August.

“Although these cyclones are unlikely to have a direct effect, they could possibly enhance the southwest monsoon,” Loreto stated. Meanwhile, the prevailing southwest monsoon is expected to cause scattered rains and thunderstorms across the Ilocos Region, Batanes, Babuyan Islands, Apayao, Abra, Benguet, Zambales, Bataan, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, and Pampanga.

The rest of the country will experience isolated rain showers due to the southwest monsoon and localized thunderstorms, PAGASA indicated.