MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) expects no heavy rains in the next three to four days.
Pagasa is monitoring Tropical Storm Queenie (international name Surigae) which, on Thursday morning, entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).
Data shown during Pagasa's briefing on Thursday afternoon "Queenie" was 1,205 kilometers east of northern Luzon as of 3 p.m. and was moving northwestward at 25 kilometers per hour (km/h) with maximum sustained winds of 75 km/h near the center and gustiness reaching 90 km/h.
"This has no direct effect on any part of our country," Pagasa Weather Specialist John Manalo said in Filipino the briefing.
Manalo said the tropical storm's trough was slightly affecting the eastern portion of Mindanao. "But, the rains it will bring will not be as heavy as what we experienced last month. It just has a slight contribution to the chance of rains," he said.
"Here in Metro Manila and the rest of our country, there are no significant weather systems that will bring widespread rains and floods but localized thunderstorms are still possible," he said in Filipino and English.
Manalo said that in Pagasa's latest track forecast, "Queenie" would continue moving northwestward "and eventually, this weekend, starting by Saturday, it will already move northward...and then, eventually, by Sunday, it will move northeastward away from our country."
As to its intensity, Manalo said that "Queenie" would further intensify into a Severe Tropical Storm "and eventually, by early Sunday, it will further intensify into typhoon category and eventually exit the" PAR on Monday afternoon.
No weather advisory was raised. No heavy rainfall warning was raised. Manalo said this meant that "we are not expecting heavy rains in the next three to four days."
Pagasa said that the trough would "bring strong to gale-force gusts over" these places, "especially in coastal and upland areas exposed to winds:"
- Thursday until Saturday: Davao Oriental, Davao Occidental, and Sarangani
