A severe tropical storm entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) last Sunday night and is expected to intensify into a typhoon, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Administration (PAGASA).
In a bulletin issued at 5 p.m. yesterday, the agency said the storm, locally named as Gorio, was some 1,060 km east of extreme northern Luzon as of 4 p.m. yesterday.
Gorio is packing maximum sustained winds of 110 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 135 kph. It is moving west-southwest at 20 kph.
Gorio entered the PAR at 11:20 p.m., PAGASA said, adding it remains unlikely that it will directly affect the country.
“Gorio is unlikely to directly affect the country within the next three days,” said PAGASA.
“However, in the event of a further southward shift in the forecast track, hoisting of tropical cyclone wind signal No. 1 over extreme northern Luzon is not ruled out,” it added.
Last Sunday, the agency said the storm (international name Pudol) is “less likely” to directly affect the country.
PAGASA said Gorio will move generally westward before taking the west-northwestward track this afternoon.
Gorio is forecast to make landfall on the eastern coast of Taiwan on Wednesday afternoon and exit the PAR on Wednesday night.
Part of Taiwan is included in the Philippine PAR, merely for purposes of monitoring tropical cyclones, given its proximity to the country.
“Gorio may reach typhoon category before its landfall in Taiwan before weakening throughout the remaining forecast period,” PAGASA said.
