PAGASA: 'Soulik' intensifies into typhoon

MANILA, Philippines - Typhoon Soulik (international name) continues to strengthen as it moves closer to the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR), the state weather bureau said on Tuesday.

In an advisory, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said as of 10 a.m. today, Soulik has gained strength with maximum sustained winds of 120 kilometers per hour with gustiness of 150 kph.

Soulik was spotted at 1,680 km East of Basco, Batanes outside the eastern boundary of the PAR. It is projected to move west at 20 kph.

Weather forecaster Glaiza Escullar said in a report by the state news agency that Soulik is expected to intensify into a typhoon category when it enters PAR on Wednesday.

PAGASA said Soulik will exit early morning of Saturday on PAR'S northern boundary north of Taiwan.

Soulik will not have any direct effect on any part of the country today and tomorrow, but it will enhance the southwest monsoon and will bring rains on the western part of the country starting Thursday afternoon.

Once the cyclone enters the PAR, it will be named “Huaning,” the first cyclone to visit the country this month and the eighth for the year.

Meantime, an Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) continues to affect Palawan and Mindanao, according to PAGASA.

The weather bureau said Mimaropa, Ilocos Region, Zamboanga Peninsula, Soccsksargen and Northern Mindanao will experience cloudy skies with light to moderate rainshowers and thunderstorms.

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

Light to moderate winds blowing from the northeast to north will prevail over Luzon and coming from the northwest to southwest over Visayas and Mindanao.

The coastal waters throughout the archipelago will be slight to moderate.