MANILA, Philippines — A low pressure area (LPA) off Batanes may become a tropical depression in the coming days and will be named "Igme," the state-run weather agency said on Friday. Spotted past 3 a.m. some 745 kilometers east-southeast of Itbayat, also in the province, the LPA has no direct effect yet in the country, weather specialist Benison Estareja of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said. However, he said the weather disturbance has a chance of developing into a tropical depression maybe over the weekend. "But based on Pagasa's data and analysis, this tropical cyclone has a slim chance to directly hit the country or even make landfall during its forecast period," Estareja said. Meanwhile, the state weather bureau said it was the southwest monsoon or "habagat" that was affecting most parts of the country, including Metro Manila in Luzon and some areas in Visayas. "Either occasional and scattered or isolated rains and thunderstorm would be experienced all throughout the day in these areas due to habagat," the Pagasa forecaster said. Over Mindanao, partly cloudy to overcast skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms will prevail in 24 hours due to the localized thunderstorms, he added. Read The Rest at :