Weather seen to improve as ‘Nando’ exits PH

MTSAT ENHANCED-IR Satellite Image as of 2:32p.m., 28 August 2013 www.pagasa.dost.gov.ph

MANILA, Philippines–Fairer weather is expected to prevail over the entire country beginning Thursday as Tropical Storm “Nando” finally exits the Philippine Area of Responsibility, the state weather bureau said Wednesday.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said the storm is forecast to leave Thursday morning, after almost a week in the country’s area of responsibility.

As of mid-Wednesday, the weather disturbance was observed some 120 kilometers northeast of Basco, Batanes or 200 km southeast of Taiwan, Pagasa said.

Nando (international name Kong-Rey) has already passed Batanes but the area was still experiencing stormy weather as the storm moved toward Okinawa, Japan, said Rene Paciente, weather forecasting section chief.

Thus, Public Storm Signal No. 2, indicating 61-100 kph winds, was still up over the Batanes group of islands, and Storm Signal No. 1, indicating 45-60 kph winds, over the Calayan and Babuyan groups of islands.

Nando, as of Wednesday morning, was packing peak winds of 95 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 120 kph, dumping heavy to intense rainfall within its 500-kilometer diameter.

“We expect improving weather by Thursday in the entire Philippines,” Paciente said.

He said a high-pressure area north of Nando was the reason the storm had slowed down, but it was predicted to pick up shortly.

Meanwhile, the weather bureau has spotted two tropical depressions east and west of Northern Luzon, but both were still too far from the Philippine area of responsibility, the forecaster said.

In an advisory, Pagasa warned residents in areas under storm signals, as well as those living in the provinces of Zambales and Bataan, and in the Ilocos and Cordillera regions, about possible flash floods and landslides.

Likewise, those living in coastal areas under Storm Signal No. 2 were alerted to possible storm surges.