Pagasa: Tropical cyclone may enter PH over weekend

Sept 21, 2016; 7:30 pm. Photo from Pagasa website

The state weather bureau is tracking a tropical cyclone that may enter the Philippine area of responsibility over the weekend.

As of 5p.m. the tropical depression was tracked 2,500 kilometers east of Mindanao, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said on Wednesday.

The tropical cyclone was packing maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour and was moving west at 35 kph. Once it enters PAR, it will be locally named Helen.

Pagasa said the cyclone is likely to intensify before it enters PAR.

Meanwhile, the southwest monsoon continued to affect Palawan and Western Visayas.

Cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and thunderstorms will be experienced over Luzon and Eastern Visayas. Partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms will prevail over the rest of the country on Thursday, Pagasa said. TVJ