A severe tropical storm (international name Pudol) forecast to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility last night or early morning today, Monday, is “less likely” to directly affect the country, according to the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).
In an advisory, the agency said Pudol was some 1,680 km east of extreme northern Luzon as of 10 a.m. yesterday, packing maximum sustained winds of 110 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 135 kph. It is moving westward at 25 kph.
“Pudol is less likely to directly affect the weather and sea conditions in the country within the next five days,” PAGASA said.
“Podul may enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility between tonight (Sunday) and tomorrow (Monday) early morning,” it added.
When it enters PAR, it will be given the name Gorio.
The storm intensified into a tropical depression (from a low pressure area) last Thursday afternoon and into a tropical storm on Thursday night. It further intensified into a severe tropical storm on Saturday morning.
It will be the seventh tropical cyclone to hit the country this year.
The last one was Fabian, which developed into a tropical depression last Friday morning while in the West Philippine Sea. Fabian weakened into an LPA last Saturday morning, shortly after exiting PAR.
“On the track forecast, Podul may pass close or over the southern Ryukyu
Islands (in Japan) on Wednesday morning. Furthermore, a landfall scenario over Taiwan on Wednesday afternoon or evening is also not ruled out,” PAGASA said.
Weather specialist Obet Badrina said Pudol will be inside the PAR until Tuesday.
“It’s possible it will make landfall in Taiwan on Wednesday before exiting our PAR,” said Badrina.
Part of Taiwan is included in the Philippine PAR, merely for purposes of monitoring tropical cyclones, given its close proximity to the country.
While the weather system is less likely to directly affect the country given its westward track, Badrina said that “if it moves southward, there’s a possibility we will raise the tropical cyclone wind signal in some areas in Batanes.”
