MANILA, Philippines — The tropical depression outside the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) is forecast to likely intensify into a typhoon prior to its landfall possibly this weekend, state meteorologists said on Wednesday afternoon.
According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), the still-unnamed tropical depression may enter the country between Thursday morning and afternoon, and could slightly turn southwest.
This means it is on track to hit land in the Bicol Region and traverse over Southern Luzon waters — areas previously affected by Typhoon Quinta (international name: Molave), Pagasa said.
The weather disturbance was last seen 1,910 kilometers east of Central Luzon, packing maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour (kph), and gustiness of up to 70 kph. It was moving west-northwest at a speed of 10 kph.
Pagasa said that by the time it enters PAR, it will turn into a tropical storm and be named “Rolly.”
State meteorologists predicted that the weather disturbance will move closer to Bicol Region starting Friday night while intensifying as a typhoon. It is seen to make landfall by Sunday.
“Ito po ay tatama sa lupa bilang isang typhoon, ibig sabihin malalakas po ang dalang hangin niyan, na posibleng magpatumba ng mga puno at makasira ng mga istraktura lalo po ‘yong mga gawa sa light materials,” weather specialist Ariel Rojas said.
(The tropical depression will hit land as a typhoon, which means that it would bring strong winds capable of bringing down trees and destroying structures especially those made of light materials.)
“Babaybayin po niyan ang southern part ng Luzon island, and by Monday, November 2, nasa labas na po ‘yan ng West Philippine Sea,” he added.
(It would move along the southern part of the Luzon island, and by Monday, November 2, it will off the West Philippine Sea.)
In the meantime, Pagasa said Luzon will have warm and humid weather for Thursday as the approaching tropical depression and Molave do not affect the country’s weather systems although there is still a high chance of thunderstorms by Thursday afternoon and night.
Metro Manila, Laoag, and Tuguegarao will experience climate at around 25°C to 32°C while the usually chilly Tagaytay will have it between 22°C and 30°C, and Legazpi City, 25°C to 33°C.
The same will persist in Visayas and Mindanao, with Iloilo and Tacloban feeling temperatures at 25°C to 32°C; Cagayan de Oro at 24°C to 31°C; and Davao and Zamboanga as high as 33°C on Thursday.
Pagasa also kept its gale warning over the entire Ilocos Region seaboard, the western waters of Central Luzon, and the extreme Northern Luzon area including Batanes, Babuyan Islands, and Cagayan.
This means small boats are not allowed to set sail as sea conditions will be rough to very rough in these areas.