Typhoon ‘Ompong’ intensifies, slows down

MT Satellite image October 8, 2014, 4:01 a.m. Screengrab from Dost_pagasa facebook page

MANILA, Philippines–Typhoon “Ompong” (international name: Vongfong) intensified but slowed down on its course Wednesday morning, the state weather bureau said.

Ompong was last located 1,161 km east of Tuguegarao City with maximum winds of 215 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 250 kph, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said.

It is forecast to move west northwest at 17 kph.

Pagasa earlier said Ompong won’t directly affect the country and is expected to exit Friday or Saturday.

Meanwhile, an intertropical convergence zone continued to affect Mindanao.

Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol Region, Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, ARMM and Soccsksargen will experience cloudy skies with light to moderate rainshowers and thunderstorms, Pagasa said.

Cagayan Valley, CAR and the provinces of Ilocos and Aurora will have cloudy skies with light to moderate rains.

The rest of the country will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms.