Storm may enter PAR Wednesday

MANILA, Philippines - A tropical storm may enter the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) on Wednesday, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

Weather forecaster Benjie de Paz said the storm with international name Goni currently has the same track as Typhoon Hanna, which entered the Philippine area of responsibility last week but did not make landfall.

Like Hanna, De Paz said Goni’s current track showed that it will not make landfall but would enhance the southwest monsoon.

Goni, which will be named Ineng once it enters the Philippine area of responsibility, has maximum sustained winds of 85 kilometers per hour and gustiness of 100 kph.

It was located yesterday at 2,520 kilometers east of Southern Luzon, and is moving west northwest at 15 kph.

Meanwhile, another tropical storm in the Pacific – with international name Atsani – is located at 4,320 kms east of Central Luzon.

The weather forecaster said the second storm is still too far to determine if and when it would enter the Philippine area of responsibility.

Various parts of the country yesterday experienced light to moderate rains due to the inter-tropical convergence zone, which affected Northern Mindanao.

PAGASA said the same weather will be experienced today.

“Cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and isolated thunderstorms will be experienced over the regions of Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Caraga and Davao. Partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated thunderstorms will prevail over Metro Manila and the rest of the country,” said the weather bureau.

“Light to moderate winds blowing from the southeast to south will prevail over Luzon and coming from the south to southwest over the rest of the country. The coastal waters throughout the archipelago will be slight to moderate,” it added.