MANILA, Philippines — Tropical typhoon Pedring would strengthen and hit the country’s agricultural crop lands and Metro Manila if it continued its westward move, the Philippine Atmospherics, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said on Monday.
Graciano Yumul, undersecretary of the Department of Science and Technology, said the past five hours showed Pedring on a westward track. “If this makes landfall in Quezon, it will hit Central Luzon and hit Metro Manila,” he said.
Yumul said a high pressure area on the northwest has been preventing Pedring from inching north. The typhoon was crossing the ocean at 17 kilometers per hour. As of 10 a.m. Monday, Pedring was packing maximum winds of 120 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 150 kph.
Pedring was seen to intensify as it hurtled to the east coast of Luzon as sea surface temperature was recorded at 28C. “This is still warm. This is conducive to intensification,” Yumul explained.