Typhoon Ferdie enters Philippine area of responsibility

MANILA, Philippines – Brace for heavy rains this week.

Typhoon Ferdie (international name Meranti) entered the Philippine area of responsibility yesterday and is expected to bring heavy rains and strong winds over parts of Luzon and the Visayas until Thursday, the state weather bureau said.

Ferdie intensified further from a severe tropical storm into a typhoon yesterday afternoon.

Aldczar Aurelio, weather forecaster at the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), said the weather bureau might raise tropical cyclone warning signals over extreme Northern Luzon tomorrow as Ferdie moves closer to the area.

As of 4 p.m. yesterday, the eye of the storm was located at 1,280 kilometers east of Casiguran, Aurora, with maximum sustained winds of 120 km per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 150 kph.

According to PAGASA, Ferdie was forecast to move west-northwest at 22 kph.

Aurelio said the storm is also expected to enhance the southwest monsoon, which will bring light to moderate to occasionally heavy rains over the western section of Luzon, including Metro Manila, and the western section of Visayas, beginning Tuesday.

Residents in western Luzon and Visayas could also experience strong winds the monsoon.