‘Perla’ races to N. Luzon

Tropical Depression “Perla” is forecast to make landfall in northern Luzon during the weekend, bringing stormy weather in several provinces beginning Saturday, the weather service said on Thursday.

According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), Perla’s center was 840 kilometers east of Aparri in Cagayan province at 3 p.m. on Thursday.

Perla intensified throughout the day, packing maximum sustained winds of 55 km per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 70 kph, Pagasa said.

Faster

As it moved north-northwest and closer to land, Perla had also sped up at 15 kph, the weather service said.

In an earlier severe weather bulletin on Thursday, Pagasa senior weather specialist Chris Perez said that going by Perla’s forecast track, it might make a landfall or close approach to extreme northern Luzon by Sunday.

By then, it could be as close as 40 km east of Aparri town, Perez said.

A tropical cyclone wind signal warning may be raised by Pagasa by Friday.

Won’t become storm

Scattered rains and thunderstorms will prevail in Batanes, Cagayan, Babuyan Islands and Apayao by Saturday, Perez said.

Despite a landfall, the weather bureau said Perla was less likely to intensify into a tropical storm.