Hagupit enters Phl tomorrow

MANILA, Philippines - Tropical Storm Hagupit gathered strength as it moved closer to the country yesterday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAG-ASA) said.

PAGASA senior weather forecaster Rene Paciente said Hagupit was spotted at 2,265 kilometers east of Mindanao as of 4 p.m. yesterday, packing winds of 75 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 90 kph.

Hagupit – which means lash in Filipino – was forecast to move west-northwest at 35 kph.

“Hagupit is still too far to affect any part of the country,” PAGASA said in its weather advisory.

Paciente said Hagupit was forecast to enter the Philippine area of responsibility tomorrow morning and would be locally named Ruby.

He said Hagupit is likely to intensify into a typhoon (between 120 and 140 kph) before entering the Philippine area of responsibility.

PAGASA deputy administrator for operations and services Landrico Dalida Jr. said Hagupit was not expected to become a super typhoon based on latest forecast models.

Paciente said the weather bureau is still looking at two scenarios for Hagupit.

He said the storm could make landfall over Eastern Visayas on Sunday or recurve toward Japan.

Super Typhoon Yolanda hit Eastern Visayas on Nov. 8 last year, leaving more than 6,000 people dead and over 1,700 missing.

Yolanda had maximum sustained winds of 315 kph and gusts reaching 380 kph.

“Based on my analysis, the most likely scenario is it will make landfall,” Paciente said.

If Hagupit continues with its westward track, Paciente said it could pack winds of 150 to 175 kph before hitting landmass in Eastern Visayas.

The weather bureau also warned of possible storm surge up to four meters high.

It could also bring moderate to intense rains in areas along its path that could trigger flashfloods.

He said the weather disturbance could also bring rough to very rough seas in Southern Luzon, the Visayas and Northern Mindanao.

Paciente said Hagupit is expected to enhance the northeast monsoon once it enters the Philippine area of responsibility tomorrow, bringing light to moderate rains over Northern and Eastern Luzon.

PAGASA’s latest forecast also showed Hagupit could still change course and recurve northward to Southern Japan and spare the Philippines from a direct hit.

However, even if it will not hit land, moderate to occasionally heavy rains (five to 15 millimeters per hour) could still affect the eastern sections of Southern Luzon and the Visayas.

The eastern seaboard of Luzon and the Visayas would still experience rough to very rough seas, PAGASA said.