LPA near Palau intensifies into tropical depression, may enter PAR Tuesday

A low pressure area southeast of Palau and being monitored by PAGASA has developed into a tropical depression and may enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Tuesday, the state weather bureau said Sunday.

Once the tropical depression enters PAR, it will be named Odette.

In its tropical cyclone advisory, PAGASA said the LPA developed into a tropical depression at 8 a.m.

At 10 a.m., the tropical depression was located at 2,095 kilometers east of Mindanao.

It has maximum sustained winds of 45 km/h near the center, gustiness of up to 55 km/h, and central pressure of 1002 hPa. The tropical depression was almost stationary on Sunday morning.

"On the forecast track, the tropical depression is forecast to move generally west northwestward over the next three days and may enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Tuesday," PAGASA said.

PAGASA said the tropical depression may intensify and turn into a tropical storm within the next 24 hours, and into a typhoon by Tuesday evening or Wednesday early morning.

The weather bureau said the tropical cyclone may make landfall over the Eastern Visayas-Caraga area on Wednesday evening or Thursday morning.

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signals may be raised for parts of Visayas and Mindanao, with the highest possibly being TCWS No. 4, PAGASA said.

The weather bureau advised the public and disaster risk reduction and management offices concerned to monitor updates.

The next tropical cyclone advisory will be issued at 11 p.m. Sunday. —KG, GMA News