Typhoon-ravaged Bohol and the rest of the country are unlikely to be hit by another storm in the next five months, a Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) official said.
According to PAGASA Bohol officer-in-charge Leonard Samar, they are expecting zero to one tropical cyclone each in January and February, and the chances of a storm brewing in the vicinity of the country are seen to further lessen when the hot or dry season starts in March.
“Kaning mga buwana, gikan sa sa January to April ang development of tropical cyclone less gyud kaayo, ang forecast niya is zero or one. Unya kung tan-awon nato ang historical data, tagsaon ra gyud kaayo na naay bagyo aning mga buwana,” Samar said.
Samar said that the low pressure area (LPA) which has been causing scattered rain showers in the region in the past days has a low chance of developing into a tropical cyclone.
He added that the LPA was already too close to land for it to gain strength and intensify into a storm.
“Low iyang chance na mahimong bagyo. Shallow low pressure ra ni siya unya sa pagkakaron duol na kaayo sa landmass. Naa ni ni siya duol kaayo sa yuta sa Surigao mao ng posibli na dili na gyud siya mo himong bagyo,” said Samar.
As of 11 a.m. on Monday, the LPA was spotted 185 kilometers east of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur.
However, Samar said the LPA could still bring moderate to heavy rains in the Visayas including Bohol and Mindanao. (A. Doydora)