Tropical depression to bring rain to Visayas, Mindanao

MANILA, Philippines—As it draws closer to the archipelago, tropical depression “Sendong” will bring rain over eastern Visayas and northeastern Mindanao, weather forecasters said Thursday.

Sendong, which swirled into the Philippine area of responsibility at around 8 a.m. Thursday, was forecast to make a landfall in the area between Samar and Surigao between Friday night and Saturday morning,

“While it’s still far, its effect will be felt on Friday morning. It will bring light to moderate rain in Surigao, the Leyte and Samar provinces,” forecaster Aldczar Aurelio of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said in an interview.

Packing maximum winds of 55 kilometers per hour and swirling over the Philippine Sea, the tropical depression could intensify into a tropical storm between now and its landfall, he said.

Palawan and Occidental Mindoro, which lie in the path of the weather disturbance that was moving west northwest, would also experience moderate to heavy rain Saturday night, Aurelio said.

The depression has no direct effect on Southern Luzon and Metro Manila. The northeast monsoon (Amihan) sweeping across the main island of Luzon, however, would intensify during the weekend and bring rain over the metropolis and other parts of Luzon, he said.

It was estimated at 840 kilometers east southeast of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur at around 10 a.m. Thursday.