A low-pressure area (LPA) outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) has intensified into a tropical depression and later into a tropical storm.
But the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said the tropical storm is not expected to enter PAR.
It is also not expected to directly affect any part of the country, Pagasa said.
The LPA intensified into a tropical depression, with international name Sepat, at around 8 p.m. on Sunday, Pagasa said.
The tropical depression further intensified into a tropical storm at around 8 a.m. on Monday, it added.
As of 3 p.m. on Monday, the tropical storm was some 2,315 km east northeast of extreme northern Luzon.
It is packing maximum sustained winds of 65 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 80 kph. It is moving north northeast at 30 kph.
“We are not expecting it to enter our Philippine Area of Responsibility and will not affect any part of the country in the coming days,” said Pagasa weather specialist in a public weather forecast at 5 p.m. on Monday.
Meanwhile, Pagasa said it has monitored an LPA inside the PAR.
The LPA was some 175 km west southwest of Iba, Zambales as of 3 p.m. on Monday.
Torres said the LPA has a low potential of developing into a tropical depression.
However, he said the LPA is forecast to bring rains in Pangasinan, Zambales, and Bataan.
“It has a low potential of developing into a tropical depression within the next 24 hours,” Pagasa said in an advisory, referring to the LPA.
