‘Pedring’ leaves Philippines, heads towards China–Pagasa

MANILA, Philippines — Typhoon “Pedring” (international name: Nesat) has left the Philippines but gained strength anew as it headed towards Southern China, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).

Pedring is currently over the West Philippine Sea, 380 kilometers west northwest of Baguio City.

Maximum winds have picked up again at 130 kilometers per hour (kph), with gustiness of up to 160 kph.

It has maintained its slow speed of 19 kph while moving west-northwest towards Southern China.

Pedring weakened to 120 kph, with gustiness of up to 150 kph after hitting the Sierra Madre Mountain Range and making landfall over Aurora, but still ravaged central Luzon leaving at least 20 dead and most of Metro Manila shut down.

Public Storm Warning Signal no. 1 remains in Zambales, La Union and Pangasinan, Pagasa said.

Pagasa weather forecaster, Rene Paciente, warned that the southern  monsoon was still affecting most of western Luzon.

“But we can expect good weather Wednesday afternoon up to the next two days for the whole  country” Paciente said.

Another tropical storm, located 1350 kilometers east of northern Luzon, is expected to gain strength and enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) within 24 hours. It has the international name Nalgae, and will be named Quiel once it has entered the PAR.

Quiel is moving westward at 15 kph, with maximum sustained winds of 75 kph and gustiness of 90 kph, and is likely to make landfall over northern Luzon sometime Saturday.

Meanwhile, another low pressure area (LPA) located far to the east of southern Mindanao could either become another storm or be absorbed by Quiel, strengthening it further.