Obet may exit PAR this weekend, says Pagasa

Track of Tropical Depression Obet. Photo from Pagasa website

MANILA, Philippines — Tropical Depression Obet may exit the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) this coming weekend as it moves southwestward to Luzon Strait, state meteorologists said Thursday.

The center of Obet was last spotted 650 km east of Basco, Batanes, packing maximum sustained winds of 45 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center with gustiness of up to 55 kph.

“This tropical cyclone is forecast to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Saturday evening or Sunday morning,” the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said in its 5 p.m. advisory.

Pagasa added that Obet is “forecast to track west-southwestward until tonight (Thursday) or tomorrow early morning (Friday) while accelerating before turning westward towards Luzon Strait.”

READ: Obet to trigger heavy rain in Northern Luzon on Friday, October 21

Obet is still expected to intensify gradually and may reach the tropical storm category by Friday evening or early Saturday morning, the state weather service noted.

Additionally, Pagasa’s latest bulletin indicated that Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No.1 remains raised over Batanes, Babuyan Islands, and the northeastern portion of mainland Cagayan (Santa Ana, Gonzaga).

KGA