Huaning to bring rains in MM

MANILA, Philippines - Tropical Storm Soulik is expected to enter the Philippine area of responsibility tomorrow morning and bring rains over the western section of the country later this week.

Soulik, which will be named Huaning when it enters the Philippine area of responsibility, will not directly affect any part of the country within the next two days, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said.

Soulik was spotted at 2,010 kilometers east of Basco, Batanes as of 4 p.m. yesterday. It packed winds of 85 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 100 kph and was forecast to move west at 20 kph.

The storm will enhance the southwest monsoon and bring rains on the western part of the country, including Metro Manila, by Thursday.

Soulik will be given the local name “Huaning” when it enters the Philippine area of responsibility.

PAGASA also expects two to three cyclones to enter the Philippine area of responsibility this month.

Meanwhile, the Ilocos region, Mimaropa, western Visayas and Mindanao will experience cloudy skies with light to moderate rainshowers and thunderstorms in the next 24 hours due to the intertropical convergence zone.

Metro Manila and the rest of the country will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms.