Project NOAH MTSAT image as of July 19, 2014, 6:01 PM. Screengrab from https://noah.dost.gov.ph/
MANILA, Philippines – Tropical Storm Henry (international name: Matmo) intensified Saturday afternoon into a typhoon but is still not expected to directly affect the country.
It may, however, enhance the southwest monsoon by Monday or Tuesday and bring rains over parts of Luzon, particularly the north, according to the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).
In its 5:00 p.m. bulletin, Pagasa said Henry was spotted 530 kilometers east of Guian, Eastern Samar and has maximum sustained winds of 120 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 150 kph.
Pagasa said it was moving 19 kph northwest.
Weather forecaster Fedrnando Cada said no public storm warnings have been raised in any part of the country.
Cada said that based on their assessment Henry would not make landfall in the Philippines.
While it will not make landfall, it may draw nearer to the eastern part of the Visayas or the Bicol region before moving over the East Philippine Sea to Taiwan, he said.
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