Photo from DOST Pagasa
MANILA, Philippines — The low pressure area (LPA) outside the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) has intensified into a tropical depression and may further intensify into a tropical storm within the next 24 hours, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Sunday.
“The low pressure area outside the Philippine area of responsibility southeast of Palau has developed into a tropical depression,” Pagasa said in an advisory at 11 a.m.
“The tropical depression is forecast to gradually intensify and may reach tropical storm category within the next 24 hours. Due to favorable environmental conditions, the tropical cyclone will likely continue to intensify and may reach typhoon category by Tuesday evening or Wednesday early morning,” Pagasa further said.
TROPICAL CYCLONE ADVISORY NO. 1
TROPICAL DEPRESSION
Issued at 11:00 AM, 12 December 2021THE LOW PRESSURE AREA OUTSIDE THE PHILIPPINE OF RESPONSIBILITY SOUTHEAST OF PALAU HAS DEVELOPED INTO A TROPICAL DEPRESSION.https://t.co/I8mJWpwZIB pic.twitter.com/xiKskrRm7l
— PAGASA-DOST (@dost_pagasa) December 12, 2021
According to Pagasa, the tropical depression was last spotted 2,095 kilometers east of Mindanao. It packs maximum sustained winds of 45 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 55 kph.
“Current track and intensity forecast shows that there is a moderate to high likelihood that Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) will be hoisted for the provinces of Visayas and Mindanao. The highest possible wind signal that may be hoisted for this tropical cyclone is TCWS #4,” Pagasa said.
The weather bureau said the tropical depression is expected to move generally west northwest over the next three days and may enter PAR on Tuesday.
Once inside PAR, the tropical cyclone will be named Odette.
By Wednesday evening or Thursday morning, the tropical cyclone will begin to move west and may make landfall in Eastern Visayas and the Caraga region in Mindanao.