MANILA, Philippines – A tropical storm with international name Nanmadol may enter the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) by Thursday evening, according to the state weather bureau.
In an early Wednesday morning forecast, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Nanmadol was last sighted 1,910 kilometers east of extreme northern Luzon, packing maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 80 kph. It is moving northwestward at 10 kph.
“Ito ay posibleng pumasok ng ating area of responsibility bukas ng gabi or by early morning ng Friday. Nakikita natin iyong posibilidad na kapag ito’y pumasok sa ating ating area of responsibility, ito ay magi-intensify pa at magiging isang typhoon category,” state service weather specialist Grace Castañeda detailed.
(Nanmadol may enter the PAR by tomorrow evening or early Friday morning. Once it does, it is seen to further intensify into a typhoon.)
Once it enters PAR, the cyclone will be assigned the name Josie.
Habagat-induced rains
Castañeda added that the tropical storm is unlikely to have any direct effect over the country as it is seen to remain distant from the Philippines’ landmass. However, it may still enhance the southwest monsoon, which will then trigger rains in the western section of Southern Luzon and Visayas.
Castañeda noted that a weak southwest monsoon is currently bringing overcast skies and scattered rain showers in Occidental Mindoro, Palawan, Aklan and Antique.
Meanwhile, Metro Manila and the rest of the country can expect fair weather with chances of isolated rains due to the southern monsoon and localized thunderstorms, she added.
Pagasa also outlined the range of temperature in the following cities and areas on Wednesday:
Metro Manila — 26 to 33 degrees Celsius
Baguio — 16 to 23 degrees Celsius
Laoag — 26 to 33 degrees Celsius
Tuguegarao — 24 to 34 degrees Celsius
Legazpi — 26 to 33 degrees Celsius
Puerto Princesa — 25 to 32 degrees Celsius
Tagaytay — 22 to 30 degrees Celsius
Kalayaan Islands — 25 to 32 degrees Celsius
Iloilo — 25 to 32 degrees Celsius
Cebu — 26 to 33 degrees Celsius
Tacloban — 26 to 33 degrees Celsius
Cagayan de Oro — 24 to 33 degrees Celsius
Zamboanga — 24 to 33 degrees Celsius
Davao — 26 to 33 degrees Celsius