PAGASA monitors ‘Cempaka’

MANILA, Philippines — A tropical storm outside the Philippine area of responsibility with international name Cempaka is being monitored by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.

According to PAGASA, Cempaka was spotted as of 3 p.m. on Saturday at 2,175 kilometers east of extreme northern Luzon, packing winds of 65 kilometers per hour and gusts of 80 kph.

“We are not leaving out the possibility that it will enter PAR, but it is unlikely to hit landmass and will not have a direct effect on the country’s weather in the next days,” said weather specialist Daniel James Villamil.

A shear line, or the convergence of cold, dry air from the northeast and the warm, moist air from the Pacific Ocean, will bring cloudy skies with scattered rains and isolated thunderstorms in Aurora, Quezon and Camarines Norte.

Cloudy skies with light rains will be felt in Cagayan Valley, Apayao, Kalinga, Mountain Province and Ifugao due to the northeast monsoon.

The monsoon will also bring partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated light rains in Ilocos Region, rest of the Cordillera Administrative Region and the rest of Central Luzon.