LPA intensifies into tropical storm

MANILA, Philippines - A low-pressure area off the Pacific Ocean intensified into a tropical storm yesterday and is expected to enter the Philippine area of responsibility this week, the state weather bureau said.

Gener Quitlong, senior weather forecaster of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), said the tropical storm (international codename Hagupit) was last spotted some 3,200 kilometers east southeast of Southern Mindanao.

The storm is expected to enter the Philippine area of responsibility by Thursday evening or Friday morning. It will be locally named Ruby.

Quitlong said there is a high probability that the cyclone would intensify into a typhoon before entering the Philippine area of responsibility.

“We are still looking at two scenarios for the cyclone: One, it will move westward and cross the Visayas and the other, it will enter the Philippine area of responsibility but will recurve northward towards Japan,” he said in a telephone interview.

Quitlong said most of the weather forecast models showed the cyclone would recurve, sparing the Philippines.

But forecasters are keeping their guard up as the weather disturbance has the potential of becoming a powerful cyclone, he added.

“It is still far and could gather more strength while over the sea,” Quitlong said.

Meanwhile, PAGASA said Metro Manila, Calabarzon and Aurora would be cloudy with light to moderate rains or thunderstorms today.

Cagayan Valley, Apayao and Ilocos Norte will have cloudy skies with light rains.

PAGASA said the rest of the country would experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms, mostly over the eastern section.

It also warned the public of big waves in Northern Luzon in the next 24 hours due to the strong northeasterly wind.

As of 8 a.m. yesterday, a gale warning was up in Batanes, Calayan, Babuyan, northern coast of Cagayan and northern coast of Ilocos Norte.

These areas would experience waves up to 3.4 to 4.5 meters high, Quitlong said.