Tropical storm expected to enter Philippines in next few days

MANILA, Philippines - A tropical storm spotted over the Pacific Ocean is expected to enter the Philippine area of responsibility this weekend or early next week and bring rains over the eastern section of Luzon and the Visayas.

Shelly Ignacio, weather forecaster of the Philippine Atmospheric, Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), said yesterday the storm with international name Infa is likely to intensify into a typhoon before it enters the Philippine area of responsibility by Sunday or Monday.

The storm will be locally named Marilyn once it enters the Philippine area of responsibility.

Ignacio said the storm was not expected to make landfall in any part of the country.

PAGASA was looking at two scenarios for Infa, one where it enters the Philippine area of responsibility on Sunday or Monday and grazes the eastern section of Luzon, particularly the Bicol region and the Visayas, while the other scenario is the storm would veer north and spare the country, Ignacio said.

As of yesterday noon, the storm was moving west northwest at a speed of 20 kilometers per hour.

“The possibility that it will enter the Philippine area of responsibility is high,” Ignacio told The STAR.

As of 2 a.m. Thursday, the eye of Infa was located at 2,980 km east of Mindanao.

She said partly cloudy skies with chances of isolated thunderstorms would prevail over Metro Manila in the next three days.