4 days ago
Tropical storm Podul may enter Philippines by Sunday or Monday
MANILA: The tropical storm with the international name Podul may enter the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) on Sunday or Monday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said on Friday (Aug 8).
In a 5am weather forecast, Pagasa weather specialist Loriedin de la Cruz-Galicia said the storm was last spotted 2,580km east of northern Luzon.
Although still far from the country's landmass, the storm is forecast to track toward the PAR.
'Based on our latest analysis and forecast, there is a possibility that it will enter our PAR by Sunday or Monday,' De la Cruz-Galicia said.
If it enters the PAR, the storm would be named 'Fabian' and would be the sixth tropical cyclone to enter the country in 2025.
'There is also a possibility that before it enters our area of responsibility—or upon entry—it will already be at typhoon category. It is currently a tropical storm, but in the coming days it may continue to strengthen,' she added.
Currently, the storm has maximum sustained winds of up to 65 kilometres per hour (kph) near its center and gusts of up to 80 kph, moving west-northwest at 15 kph.
While it has no direct effect on the country for now, De la Cruz-Galicia said it could affect extreme northern Luzon in the coming days. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
