MANILA, Philippines—Severe Tropical Storm Podul (international name) is likely to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) either Sunday evening or early Monday morning, according to state-run weather agency.
Weather specialist Robert Badrina of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Podul was spotted some 1, 875 kilometers east of extreme Northern Luzon while moving westward at 15 kilometers per hour.
Once inside, the tropical storm will stay over the northeastern part of PAR until Tuesday before it exits the archipelago probably by Wednesday, the Pagasa forecaster said.
“Based on our data and analysis, the tropical cyclone even inside PAR would be unlikely to directly affect the country. However, if it would go southward, there would a possibility of raising a storm signal especially over Batanes,” he added.
At present, the state weather bureau said the southwest monsoon or ‘habagat’ has been affecting Ilocos Region, Batanes, and Babuyan Islands where cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms would prevail.
The same weather system would also be experienced over Metro Manila, Zambales, Bataan, Cavite, Batangas, Occidental Mindoro, and Palawan where partly cloudy to overcast skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms would be likely in 24 hours.
Meanwhile, the rest of the country would likely experience isolated rain showers due to localized thunderstorms, the national weather agency said.
