The weather disturbance outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) has intensified into a tropical storm and is expected to enter the country by Thursday evening or Friday morning, according to Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) on Tuesday.
PAGASA weather forecaster Aldczar Aurelio told the Philippines News Agency (PNA) the tropical storm was spotted some 2,485 km east of Mindanao but still outside the PAR and will not yet affect the country.
He added that once it enters PAR, the tropical storm will be locally named “Ruby”, the 18th tropical cyclone to affect the country this year.
Aurelio said the tropical storm has two scenario — one is expected to hit landfall in parts of Visayas; and the other scenario it will turn and will not hit land.
Meanwhile, for Tuesday forecast, Aurelio said expect cloudy skies with light rains over Northern and Central Luzon due to Northeast monsoon.
The Northeast monsoon blows comprises cold air from Siberia, Russia into the country every mid-October and further strengthens every mid-December.
He said Cagayan Valley and the Provinces of Apayao and Ilocos Norte will have cloudy skies with light rains. Central Luzon and the rest of Cordillera and Ilocos Region will experience partly cloudy to at times cloudy skies with isolated light rains.
The rest of the country including Metro Manila will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms.
He said with the surge of northeast monsoon or hangin amihan, Gale Warning has been issued by PAGASA reminding of rough to very rough sea condition along the seaboards of Northern Luzon.
“Fishing boats and other small seacrafts are advised not to venture out into the sea while larger sea vessels are alerted against big waves,” it warned.
In its advisory, PAGASA said moderate to strong winds blowing from the northeast will prevail over Luzon and the eastern section of 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. PNA
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