Dante gains strength as it leaves Phl

MANILA, Philippines - Tropical Storm Dante gained some strength as it continued to move away from the country yesterday, the state weather bureau said.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Dante was not expected to hit any part of the country, but it will still enhance the southwest monsoon that will bring rains over southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

As of 4 p.m. yesterday, Dante was spotted at 900 kilometers east of Basco, Batanes with maximum sustained winds of 75 kilometers per hour near center and gustiness of up to 90 kph.

Dante slowed down – from 17 kph at 11 a.m. to 11 kph at 5 p.m. – as it continued to move toward Okinawa, Japan yesterday afternoon.

It was forecast to exit the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) today.

The disturbance is seen to dump moderate to heavy rains (five to 15 millimeters per hour) in areas within its 350 km diameter.

“It will continue to enhance the southwest windflow that will bring rains and thunderstorms over the western sections of southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao,” PAGASA said in an advisory.

PAGASA’s 24-hour forecast showed that Mimaropa, Calabarzon, the Bicol region and western and central Visayas will experience cloudy skies with light to moderate rainshowers and thunderstorms today.

Metro Manila and the rest of the country, on the other hand, will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms mostly in the afternoon or evening.

The weather disturbance is predicted to be 1,050 km northeast of Basco this morning and 1,140 km northeast of Basco or at 500 km east of Okinawa, Japan this evening.

Dante is the fourth tropical cyclone to enter the country this year and the first weather disturbance this month.

Weather forecasters said Dante was likely to trigger the onset of the rainy season in the country associated with the southwest monsoon.