Potential strong typhoon may hit central Phl - US weather agency

MANILA, Philippines - (UPDATED) A new tropical cyclone that is seen to intensify into a powerful typhoon may hit the Philippines as it continues to move west northwestward, the US Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) said.

The JTWC said the weather disturbance "Haiyan" (international name) is already a typhoon that is expected to continue tracking through the Philippine Sea.

Typhoon Haiyan may also make landfall over the central Philippines and track across the archipelago, according to JTWC's forecast.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), citing a JTWC forecast, also said that Haiyan may hit Philippine land later this week.

"The Joint Typhoon Warning Center has forecast newborn Tropical Storm Haiyan to strengthen to a powerful typhoon before making landfall in the Philippines on Nov 8," NASA said on its website.

The agency said Haiyan is also seen to strengthen into a tropical cyclone equal to a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale.  

In an advisory issued at 11 a.m., the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said "Haiyan" was located at 2,170 km east of Mindanao with maximum sustained winds of 95 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 120 kilometers per hour.

PAGASA said the typhoon is expected to move west at 25 kilomters per hour and to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Thursday morning.

Haiyan will be locally named "Yolanda" when it enters the country's borders.

"It will not affect any part of the country within the next 36 hours," PAGASA said.

In a report by the state-run Philippine News Agency, PAGASA weather forecaster Connie Dadivas said Haiyan will likely make landfall in the Bicol region also on Thursday.

Meanwhile, PAGASA said in its latest bulletin that the low pressure area that was previously Tropical Depression "Wilma" was last observed at 190 kilometers northeast of Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.

It is embedded along the intertropical convergence zone.

PAGASA said Mimaropa will experience cloudy skies with moderate to occasionally heavy rains and thunderstorms that may trigger flashfloods and landslides.

Western Visayas and Bicol region will have cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and thunderstorms.

Metro Manila and the rest of the country will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rains and thunderstorms.