Tropical storm Leon maintains strength over West PH Sea — Pagasa

Source: Pagasa / DOST

MANILA, Philippines — Tropical storm Leon maintains its strength as it slightly accelerates over the West Philippine Sea, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Wednesday.

The center of Leon was last spotted 330 kilometers west northwest of Coron, Palawan, according to the severe weather bulletin of Pagasa issued at 11 a.m. It is moving west northwestward at 15 kilometers per hour (kph) and has maximum sustained winds of 65 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 80 kph.

Leon is expected to reach the severe tropical storm category within 24 hours, and will later “peak intensity” on Friday, in which at this time, it would possibly be outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility already.

Pagasa said the weather disturbance will continue tracking the direction of west-northwestward throughout the forecast period. It is expected to exit PAR on Thursday morning.

Leon will turn more westward on Thursday afternoon or evening and will make landfall over northern or central Vietnam Friday afternoon or evening.

No tropical cyclone wind signal is currently raised in any part of the country, but intermittent gusts due to the southwest monsoon may be experienced over Batanes, Babuyan Islands, Mimaropa, and Western Visayas, said the weather bureau.

According to Pagasa, the southwest monsoon enhanced by “Leon” will bring moderate to heavy rains over Aurora, Palawan (including Calamian, Cuyo, and Kalayaan Islands), Mindoro Provinces, and Western Visayas throughout Wednesday.

Meanwhile, light to moderate with at times heavy rains will be experienced over eastern Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Metro Manila, Calabarzon Bicol Region, Mindanao, and the rest of Central Luzon, Mimaropa, and Visayas.

Pagasa warned that flooding and rain-induced landslides may occur during heavy or prolonged rainfall especially in areas that are highly or very highly susceptible to these hazards.

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