Urduja to exit PAR Tuesday; cyclone east of Mindanao weakens into LPA

Tropical Depression Urduja is now over the West Philippine Sea and may exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Tuesday, state weather bureau PAGASA said Monday afternoon.

In its 5 p.m. bulletin, PAGASA said the eye of Urduja was estimated at 120 kilometers northwest of Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.

It was packing maximum winds of 45 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 60 kilometers per hour.

PAGASA said Urduja is moving west southwest at 18 kph.

The cyclone is expected to exit the PAR by Tuesday morning or afternoon, a day ahead of its earlier expected exit.

The government said a total of 31 people have  been confirmed dead and 49 others were missing due to landslides and flooding caused by heavy rains brought on by Urduja.

Majority of the fatalities are recorded in Biliran province.

Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 1 is hoisted over Palawan.

PAGASA warned residents of possible flooding and landslides in Palawan as scattered rains will prevail in the area.

It warned against sea travel over the seaboards of Palawan.

Meanwhile, scattered rains and thunderstorms is expected over the provinces of Isabela, Aurora and Quezon due to the effects of the tail-end of a cold front.

Meanwhile, PAGASA said that the tropical depression spotted hundreds of kilometers away east Mindanao has weakened into a low pressure area (LPA).

The weather bureau had earlier said that the tropical depression will be named Vinta once it enters the PAR. —ALG, GMA News