New tropical storm enters Philippine area

MANILA, Philippines—Tropical Storm Pedring entered the Philippine area of responsibility on Saturday but it was still too far to affect any part of the country, the weather bureau said.

No storm signals were raised as of Saturday afternoon, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.

Pedring was spotted 1,030 kilometers east northeast of Virac, Catanduanes at of 4 p.m., and was moving nest northwest at 19 kilometers per hour. It had maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 80 kilometers per hour.

The country would experience cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms. The intertropical convergence zone, the area where winds from the northern and southern hemispheres converge and which is a breeding ground for tropical storms, would affect Luzon and Visayas, it said.

Pagasa said coastal waters in Northern Luzon would be slight to moderate, while the seas in the rest of the country would be moderate to rough.

Three to six tropical cyclones are expected to enter the country from October to December. Pagasa officials earlier warned that the cyclones that come during the last quarter of the year are likely to be stronger.