No tropical cyclone this week — PAGASA

MANILA, Philippines — Aside from rains due to the southwest monsoon and thunderstorms, no tropical cyclone will affect the country this week.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) yesterday said the southwest monsoon would continue to bring cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms over Zambales, Bataan and Occidental Mindoro in the next 24 hours.

The rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rains due to the southwest monsoon and thunderstorms.

Typhoon Julian left the Philippine area of responsibility on Monday night. It did not make landfall, but pulled the southwest monsoon, which brought rains over Luzon and parts of the Visayas.

As of 3 p.m. yesterday, the eye of Julian was estimated 915 kilometers north-northeast of extreme Northern Luzon with maximum sustained winds of 175 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 215 kph.

PAGASA was also monitoring a tropical storm outside the Philippine area of responsibility.

As of 3 p.m. yesterday, the storm was located 2,355 kms east of extreme Northern Luzon, packing winds of 65 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 80 kph. It was moving south-southwest at 10 kph.

PAGASA weather forecaster Aldczar Aurelio said the storm was not expected to enter the Philippine area of responsibility.

Two or three cyclones are projected to enter the country this month.