'Hagupit' now a typhoon

MANILA, Philippines - The tropical cyclone with an international name "Hagupit" has intensified into a typhoon as it moved closer to the Philippines, the state weather bureau said Wednesday.

In its latest bulletin, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the center of the typhoon was located at 1,670 kilometers east of Mindanao and was forecast to move west northwest at 30 kilometers per hour (kph).

Hagupit was packed with maximum sustained winds of 130 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 160 kph.

On Tuesday, PAGASA senior weather forecaster Rene Paciente said Hagupit – which means lash in Filipino – was forecast to enter the Philippine area of responsibility before Thursday noon and would be locally named "Ruby."

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

The US Joint Typhoon Warning Center's latest forecast model for "Hagupit."

The weather bureau is still looking at two scenarios for Hagupit. The typhoon could make landfall over Eastern Visayas on Sunday or recurve toward Japan.

If Hagupit continues to head west, Paciente said it could pack winds of 150 to 175 kph before hitting landmass in Eastern Visayas.

PAGASA warned of possible storm surge up to four meters high and flashfloods and landslides to be triggered by moderate to intense rains in areas along Hagupit's path.

The typhoon could also bring rough to very rough seas in Southern Luzon, the Visayas and Northern Mindanao.

Wednesday forecast

While Hagupit is threatening the Visayas, the northeast monsoon or "amihan" continues to affect Northern and Central Luzon, according to PAGASA.
 
Eastern Visayas will also experience today cloudy skies with light to moderate rainshowers and thunderstorms. 

Cagayan Valley will have cloudy skies with light rains while the regions of Cordillera, Ilocos, and Central Luzon will experience partly cloudy to at times cloudy skies with isolated light rains. 

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