MANILA, Philippines — Tropical Depression Luis may strengthen into a tropical storm within the next hours before leaving the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) by Thursday afternoon, the state weather service has reported.
“Luis is forecast to intensify into a tropical storm tonight or tomorrow morning,” the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said in its 5 p.m. weather bulletin.
“Further intensification is likely while moving over the sea east of Ryukyu Islands,” it added.
Pagasa also said Luis will move northwestward by Friday morning.
“On the forecast track, Luis will exit the northern boundary of the PAR tomorrow morning or early afternoon. Outside the PAR region, this tropical cyclone will begin to move northeastward on Friday morning.”
READ: LPA east of extreme Northern Luzon intensifies into Tropical Depression Luis
Weather satellite image from PAGASA website
Luis was last located 1,060 kilometers east of extreme Northern Luzon, packing maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of up to 70 kph, according to Pagasa.
The tropical depression is not likely to directly affect the weather condition in the country, the state weather bureau noted. But the southwest monsoon – locally termed “habagat” – as well as a low pressure area approaching Mindanao will bring about rain over the western section of Southern Luzon and the eastern sections of Visayas and Mindanao, it also said.