Storm to enter Philippines next week – Pagasa

MANILA, Philippines - Filipinos should brace for moderate to occasionally heavy rains next week due to a tropical storm off the Pacific Ocean that is expected to enter the Philippine area of responsibility on Monday or Tuesday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said.

The tropical storm with international name Soudelor is not expected to make landfall but may enhance the southwest monsoon, weather forecaster Gener Quitlong said yesterday.

Quitlong said the storm, which will be given the local name Hanna, could intensify into a typhoon before it enters the Philippine area of responsibility.

He said there is little chance the storm will hit Philippine landmass based on its current track.

Soudelor was spotted at 885 miles east of Guam and was moving westward at 3 kilometers per hour as of 2 p.m. yesterday.

Quitlong said as of yesterday afternoon, the storm packed maximum sustained winds of 65 kph and gustiness of up to 80 kph.

He said the southwest monsoon will bring rains over Mindanao and the Visayas beginning Monday.

By Thursday, rains will reach Southern Luzon, including Metro Manila, and the rest of Luzon at the weekend.

Meanwhile, Quitlong said the inter-tropical convergence zone – which is the breeding ground of low-pressure areas – will continue to dump rains over Southern Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao this weekend.

Fair weather is expected over Northern and Central Luzon apart from isolated thunderstorms, he said.