A LOW pressure area off Cagayan intensified yesterday into a tropical depression and was named “Goring,” then further strengthened into a tropical storm.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Goring may further intensify into a severe tropical storm, then to typhoon, in the coming days.
In a bulletin issued at 5 p.m. yesterday, PAGASA said the center of Goring — the country’s 7th tropical cyclone for this year — was 265 km east of Basco, Batanes as of 4 p.m. yesterday.
PAGASA said Goring was packing maximum sustained winds of 75 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 90 kph. Goring moving northwestward at 10 kph.
Goring intensified into a tropical depression, from low pressure area, yesterday morning. It further intensified into a tropical storm yesterday afternoon.
PAGASA said Goring will further intensify and may become a severe tropical storm in the next 36 hours, from 5 p.m. yesterday.
“It may be upgraded into a typhoon category by Saturday during the southward segment of its looping track,” PAGASA said.
“While current intensity forecast indicate the progression towards typhoon category, the inherent volatility of attaining super typhoon category remains a possibility,” added PAGASA.
PAGASA said the chance of Goring making a landfall is small.
“Goring is forecast (to) track west southwestward before turning generally southward while over the waters of the eastern coast of Cagayan Valley. Over the next five days, the tropical cyclone will follow a generally looping track and may likely return to a more northward movement by late Monday or Tuesday,” said PAGASA.
