Tropical depression seen to enter PH this weekend

MANILA, Philippines — An approaching tropical depression will be named “Nonoy” when this enters the Philippine area of responsibility over the weekend.

A low pressure area about 2,500 kilometers east of Mindanao will develop into a tropical depression by Thursday orFriday, according to the state weather bureau.

“If it moves westward, (the tropical depression) will reach the country by Friday or Saturday,” said forecaster Shelly Ignacio of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

In its weekly weather forecast until December 14, PAGASA said the tropical depression would affect Metro Manila, southern Luzon and the Visayas.

“The approach of this disturbance will bring cloudy skies with moderate to occasionally heavy rains and thunderstorms over Eastern Visayas, Bicol, Mimaropa, Calabarzon, Panay island and Metro Manila,” the weather bureau said.

Ignacio said while the cyclone would likely affect these areas, the cyclone might still weaken or change track before it could get closer to land.

She said they could give a firmer forecast by Friday.

This will only be the 14th cyclone to enter the Philippine area of responsibility this year, below the average of 19 to 21 cyclones the country gets each year.

PAGASA said the less-than-usual number of typhoons this year could be the effect of the record-breaking El Niño sea surface temperature anomaly in the Pacific that has been wreaking havoc in global weather.

El Niño is associated with less frequent but more intense typhoons.

The current El Niño episode, said to be the strongest on record, is bringing severe dry conditions over the country until mid-next year.

PAGASA has forecast no more or only one typhoon to hit the country this December.  SFM