Tropical storm ‘Haiyan’ coming closer from Guam

MT Satellite image November 4, 2013, 06:00PM. Screengrab from https://www.pagasa.dost.gov.ph/

MANILA, Philippines—A tropical storm near Guam is threatening to enter the Philippines by Thursday, the state weather bureau said on Monday.

The storm, with the international name “Haiyan,” will be locally named “Yolanda” once it enters the Philippine area of responsibility, Glaiza Escullar of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said.

Yolanda will affect the Visayas especially Samar and Leyte provinces. It was forecast to develop into a typhoon before it makes a landfall.

“Mimaropa (Oriental and Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan) will experience cloudy skies with moderate to occasionally heavy rains and thunderstorms, which may trigger flashfloods and landslides. Western Visayas and Bicol Region will have cloudy skies with light to moderate rainshowers and thunderstorms,” Pagasa said.

Metro Manila and the rest of the country will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms, it added.

Moderate to strong winds blowing from the northeast will prevail over Luzon and western Visayas and the coastal waters along these areas will be moderate to rough. Elsewhere, winds will be light to moderate coming from the northeast with slight to moderate seas.