MANILA, Philippines — Tropical Depression “Dante” maintained its strength as it hovered extreme Northern Luzon and while it will not directly affect the country, it is expected to enhance the southwest monsoon that will bring rains in most areas of the country “for days,” the state weather bureau said on Wednesday.
Weather specialist Loriedin dela Cruz-Galicia of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Dante was estimated some 880 kilometers (kms) east of extreme Northern Luzon while moving northwestward at 25 kilometer per hour (kph).
Packing maximum sustained winds of 55kph near the center and gustiness of up to 70kph, Dante will be intensifying into a tropical storm over the next 12 hours. Delacruz-Galicia said.
Pagasa also said that another LPA off Cagayan was expected to intensify into another tropical cyclone in 24 hours.
“Once the LPA becomes a tropical depression, it will be named ‘Emong,’ and Pagasa will immediately raise storm signals as it is nearer to the landmass compared with Dante,” dela Cruz-Galicia said.
Dante may exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility either Thursday evening or early Friday morning, Pagasa said.
