Storm ‘Dante’ maintains strength, changes direction

Tropical Storm ‘Dante’ can be seen on the right of this satellite image. PAGASA PHOTO

Tropical storm “Dante” has maintained its strength as it shifted from a northwest to a north northeast direction, according to the weather bureau.

In its 11 a.m. bulletin, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) on Thursday said Dante was last plotted at 1,395 kilometers east of Infanta, Quezon as it moved north northeast at 15 kilometers per hour (kph).

It was packing maximum sustained winds of up to 65 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 80 kph. No tropical cyclone warning signals have been raised.

Dante was forecast to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Friday morning, or some 1,520 km east of Aparri, Cagayan.

Pagasa earlier said that the storm would not directly affect any part of the country. CBB