Weather: Floods, landslides threaten parts of southern Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao

Flash floods and landslides threaten parts of southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao as a potential cyclone moved closer to Surigao City in Mindanao Monday afternoon, state weather forecasters said. The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the potential cyclone, a low-pressure area, was estimated at 160 km east of Surigao City as of 2 p.m. "Southern Luzon, Visayas and Northeastern Mindanao will experience cloudy skies with scattered to widespread rain and thunderstorms which may trigger flash floods and landslides while the rest of the country will be mostly cloudy with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms," it said in its 5 p.m. bulletin. However, PAGASA did not say if the LPA would become a cyclone. If the LPA intensifies into a cyclone while inside Philippine territory, it will be codenamed "Sendong." For its part, Bicol-based weather site Typhoon2000.ph said the LPA has begun to accelerate and may cross Visayas Monday night until Tuesday. PAGASA said moderate to strong winds blowing from the northeast will prevail over Luzon and Visayas and its coastal waters will be moderate to rough. Elsewhere, winds will be light to moderate coming from the southwest to southeast with slight to moderate seas. Also, PAGASA said strong to gale-force winds associated with the surge of Northeasterly surface windflow may affect the seaboards of Northern Luzon. "Fishing boats and other small seacrafts are alerted against moderate to rough seas," it said. — KBK, GMA News