Track and Intensity Forecast of Severe Tropical Storm Kristine as of 5 p.m., Friday, October 25. (Photo from Pagasa/Facebook)
MANILA, Philippines — Severe Tropical Storm Kristine (international name: Trami) has accelerated but maintained its strength outside the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR), the state weather bureau said on Friday.
In its 5 p.m. weather bulletin, the Phillippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Kristine was last located some 410 kilometers west of Sinait in Ilocos Sur. The tropical storm exited PAR at 2 p.m.
It was moving west-northwestward, accelerating at 30 kilometers per hour (kph). It was still packing up maximum wind speed of 95 kph and gustiness of up to 115 kph.
In an earlier bulletin, Kristine was moving west-northwestward at 15 kph.
READ: Signal No. 1 in Metro Manila, Signal No. 2 in 18 areas amid Kristine
Pagasa said Kristine “will continue moving westward over the West Philippine Sea until tomorrow, loop counterclockwise on Sunday and Monday, then move eastward for the remainder of the forecast period.”
Kristine is also expected to “gradually intensify” as it moves over the West Philippine Sea. While its chance to develop into a typhoon is not ruled out, it may weaken by early next week.
Furthermore, a gale warning is up in the northern and western seaboard of Luzon.
Meanwhile, Pagasa noted that the tropical depression monitored outside the PAR developed into a tropical storm as of 4 p.m. Friday. It was last located some 2,410 km east of southeastern Luzon, moving northwest at 35 kph.
It was packing a maximum wind speed of 65 kph and gustiness up to 80 kph.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported on Friday that Kristine left 13 people dead in the country.
READ: NDRRMC: Kristine distressed 2.6 million, reportedly killed 13
It also affected a total of 569,524 families or 2,656,446 individuals, with the Bicol region recording the highest number of affected people at 1,860,625.