Storm ‘Tomas’ approaches RP

A tropical storm, international code name "Trami," was spotted 1,690 kilometers east of Luzon yesterday and was forecast to enter the Philippine area of responsibility last night.

The storm is not likely intensify into a typhoon, government weather forecasters said.

Bobby Rivera, weather specialist of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), said the tailend of a cold front over northeastern Luzon that is affecting the Visayas and Mindanao might lessen the strength of the storm as it moved closer to the Philippines.

However, Rivera said the weather disturbance would bring rains in eastern Luzon over the next two to three days.

Trami has maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 80 kph. It was forecast to move northwest at 33 kph.

The storm, which was located at the Pacific Ocean as of yesterday afternoon, will be named "Tomas" when it enters the country, Rivera said.

Weather bureau chief Nathaniel Cruz earlier said Tomas was expected to enter the country yesterday morning.

Cruz said Pagasa’s model track lines showed two hits as of 10 p.m. Sunday if the storm does not change direction: the National Capital Region and Central Luzon. He earlier said the storm would make landfall on Wednesday.

However, the typhoon’s track has been changing, the United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center reported, saying the typhoon could make landfall over northern Luzon, the Bicol region in southern Luzon or curve toward southeastern Japan. — Helen Flores, AP