Tropical Storm Igme may enter Philippines today

MANILA, Philippines - Fair weather is expected in most parts of the country this weekend despite the possible entry of Tropical Storm Chaba today, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said yesterday.

Chaba – which will be locally named Igme once inside the Philippine area of responsibility – is still unlikely to make landfall in any part of the country, according to PAGASA.

As of 4 p.m. yesterday, the center of Chaba was located 1,440 kilometers east of the Bicol region with maximum sustained winds of 85 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 105 kph.

It is forecast to move west at 20 kph.

“It is not expected to directly affect any part of the country,” the weather bureau said in its latest advisory.

Latest forecasts by international weather agencies showed that Chaba will likely curve to the north toward the southern islands of Japan.

Meanwhile, PAGASA said the southwest monsoon – which dumped rains over parts of Western Luzon, including Metro Manila – has weakened in the past days.

However, it said cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and isolated thunderstorms will still be experienced over the regions of Ilocos and Cagayan Valley and the provinces of Zambales, Bataan, Abra and Apayao today.

Partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms will prevail over Metro Manila and the rest of the country.

The low-pressure area, which enhanced the southwest monsoon, was spotted at 175 km east northeast of Casiguran, Aurora as of 4 p.m. yesterday, PAGASA said.

The weather agency said the coastal waters of Palawan will be moderate to rough, while the rest of the country will have slight to moderate seas.