Potential new cyclone spotted

MANILA, Philippines - Super Typhoon Yolanda left the country yesterday afternoon, but the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) is monitoring a “cloud cluster” that could develop into a low-pressure area.

PAGASA weather forecaster Jori Loiz said Yolanda left the Philippine area of responsibility at 1:30 p.m. and was moving west-northwest toward Vietnam.

The cloud cluster was spotted east of Mindanao.

“If it enters the Philippine area of responsibility as a cloud cluster we would observe it for two to three days because it could dissipate or turn into a low-pressure area,” he said.

If the cloud cluster develops into a tropical depression, it would be the 25th cyclone to enter the country and would be named Zoraida.

PAGASA said the eye of Yolanda was at 722 kilometers west of San Jose, Occidental Mindoro at 3 p.m. yesterday.

The maximum sustained wind was 185 kilometers per hour near the center with gustiness of up to 220 kph. It is moving at 35 kph.

PAGASA said the Cordillera Administrative Region and Cagayan Valley would experience cloudy skies with light rains in the next 24 hours. Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon would be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated light rains.

The rest of the country would have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.

Moderate to strong winds blowing from the southeast to east would prevail over Luzon and the Visayas while the winds in Mindanao would come from the southeast.

The coastal waters throughout the archipelago would be moderate to rough.