A tropical depression east of the country is expected to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Thursday, September 24, and could strengthen into a typhoon by the weekend, PAGASA said.
Palawan is not expected to feel a direct effect from the storm. The province may have fair weather on Wednesday, followed by isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms in the afternoon or evening.
At 3 a.m. Wednesday, the tropical depression was 1,920 kilometers east of southeastern Luzon. It had maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 70 kilometers per hour. It was moving northwest at 25 kilometers per hour.
PAGASA said the storm could become a tropical storm before entering PAR. It will be named Queenie once inside the monitoring area.
The forecast track takes the cyclone toward the waters near extreme northern Luzon. PAGASA forecaster Chenel Dominguez said landfall was not expected over the country’s main landmass.
“Palayo po ito ng ating kalupaan kaya hindi natin inaasahan na magkakaroon po tayo ng landfall scenario dito sa malaking bahagi ng ating bansa,” Dominguez said.
PAGASA said the cyclone was not expected to directly affect weather or sea conditions in the country over the next three days.
Dominguez said it could later draw in the southwest monsoon, or habagat.
She said widespread rains like those experienced in previous months were not expected.
For Palawan, Dominguez forecast fair weather during much of Wednesday. PAGASA gave a temperature range of 25°C to 32°C for Puerto Princesa and the Kalayaan Islands.
“Sa nalalabing bahagi naman ng Mindanao, pati ng mid-Visayas at buong Palawan, makakaranas naman sila ng maaliwalas din na panahon,” she said.
“Pero yun din po, mataas ang tsansa ng mga localized thunderstorms, lalo na sa hapon at sa gabi,” she added.
The cyclone’s trough is expected to bring scattered rain and thunderstorms to Eastern Visayas, Caraga, Davao Oriental, Misamis Oriental and Camiguin. PAGASA said moderate to heavy rain in those areas could cause flash floods or landslides.
No gale warning was in effect for the country’s seaboards during the morning update.
