Typhoon Hagibis expected to spare Philippines – Pagasa

MANILA, Philippines — Typhoon Hagibis is less likely to enter the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR), the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Wednesday.

The typhoon was last spotted 2,020 kilometers east of Northern Luzon, Pagasa weather specialist Meno Mendoza said in a video uploaded on the Youtube account of the state weather bureau.

“Hagibis” packs a maximum sustained wind speed of 200 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of up to 245 kph and is moving northwest at 20 kph, Mendoza added.

Earlier, Pagasa said the typhoon may enter PAR on Friday, when it would be locally named “Perla.”

Meanwhile, Metro Manila and the rest of the country may experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers caused by localized thunderstorms, according to Pagasa’s 4 a.m. bulletin. /gsg