MANILA, Philippines — Tropical Storm Isang has intensified into a severe tropical storm on Sunday but may exit the country’s territory this afternoon, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) reported.
“Kung titignan po natin ‘yung track nitong si Severe Tropical Storm Isang, possible na by this afternoon ay nasa labas na po siya ng Philippine area of responsibility,” Pagasa weather specialist Ezra Bulquerin said.
(Based on Severe Tropical Storm Isang’s track, it may leave the Philippine area of responsibility this afternoon.)
No direct effect
“Wala po pa rin itong direktang epekto sa alin mang bahagi ng ating bansa. ‘Yung nagdadala po ng mga pagpa-ulan sa’tin ay yung ITCZ.”
(It still has no direct effect in any part of the country. The intertropical convergence zone is causing rain showers in parts of the country.)
Isang packs maximum sustained winds of 95 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gusts up to 115 kph while moving northwest at 20 kph.
Isang was spotted at 560 kilometers northeast of Itbayat, Batanes at 4 a.m.
Cloudy Sunday with possible rain showers
Cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms are expected in Western Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Soccsksargen region, Bataan, Zambales, Palawan, Occidental Mindoro, and Oriental Mindoro.
Meanwhile, the rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms brought by the ITCZ and localized thunderstorms.