STATE weather forecasters said that the tropical depression that was spotted outside the Philippine area of responsibility has slowly weakened and is now a low pressure area.

PAGASA said it may meander near its present position in the next 24 hours.

Satellite data from PAGASA said that the LPA was estimated based on all available data at 1,620 km east of Southeastern Mindanao.

It said that the LPA is expected to  move erratically “and may meander near or around its present position in the next 24 hours as it remains highly disorganized.”

“Unfavorable environment may prevent this weather disturbance from significantly organizing during the same period,” it added. 

But the slight improvement in the environmental conditions could cause the  disturbance to reorganize and re-develop into a tropical depression.

Likewise, it is forecast to move towards the direction of west or west northwestward.

It is expected to enter PAR late Wednesday or early Thursday. 

“Should the disturbance re-develop within or enter the PAR as a tropical depression, the domestic name ‘Kabayan’ will be assigned to it. Within the PAR, this weather system will continue tracking westward until Friday while slowly intensifying,” PAGASA said. 

On the other hand, the interaction between this disturbance and a possible shear line related to the forecast surge of the Northeast Monsoon can result in a heavy rainfall in the eastern portion of Mindanao starting Friday and over Bicol Region and most of Visayas (especially the eastern portion) beginning on Saturday.

Metro Manila and the rest of the country is expected to have partly cloudy to cloudy skies along with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms due to the Shear line.