Ompong unlikely to make landfall – Pagasa

MANILA, Philippines - Typhoon Ompong entered the Philippine area of responsibility yesterday but the weather bureau said it is still far to affect any part of the country.

The eye of Ompong (international name Vongfong) was spotted at 1,400 kilometers east of Tuguegarao City as of 4 p.m. yesterday, packing winds of 160 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 195 kph, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said.

It was forecast to move west at 20 kph.

PAGASA said Ompong is unlikely to make landfall in the country but it is expected to enhance the northeasterly winds which will bring rough to very rough sea conditions over the seaboards of Northern Luzon and over the eastern seaboard of Central and Southern Luzon in the next days.

“Fisherfolk and those with small seacraft are advised not to venture out over the said seaboards,” the weather bureau said in an advisory.

PAGASA said Ompong was forecast to dump heavy to intense rains ranging from 7.5 to 30 millimeters per hour within its 500-kilometer radius.

If it maintains its present speed and direction, it will be at 1,070 km east of Tuguegarao City this afternoon; at 920 km east of Basco, Batanes tomorrow afternoon and at 910 km east of Itbayat, Batanes by Friday afternoon.

PAGASA said cloudy skies with light to moderate rainshowers and thunderstorms will persist over Palawan, Western Visayas and Mindanao today due to the intertropical convergence zone.

The provinces of Cagayan, Apayao and Ilocos Norte will have cloudy skies with light to moderate rains.

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