A slow-moving tropical cyclone “Wutip” is expected to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility last night or early today, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration yesterday.
PAGASA estimated the location of Wutip at 1,540 kilometers east of Northern Luzon or still outside the PAR at noon yesterday.
Should it maintain its current speed and direction of 20 kilometers per hour west-northwest, Wutip will be inside the country’s vicinity last night or early today and will be named “Betty.”
PAGASA said Wutip has weakened and been downgraded to a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 80 kph and gustiness of up to 95 kph.
It is expected to further weaken in the next few days due to the intrusion of cold and dry air coming from the northeast monsoon or “amihan.” The weather bureau also said the tropical cyclone is not expected to make landfall and may only stay off the Pacific coast.
This morning, Wutip will likely be downgraded into a tropical depression and estimated to be 1,345 kms east of Aparri, Cagayan. Tomorrow morning, Wutip may become a low pressure area and 1,285 kms east of Aparri.
PAGASA said the northeast monsoon remains the prevailing weather system across the whole country over the weekend.
Aurora, Quezon, Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Biliran, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Northern Samar, Samar, Southern Leyte, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, and Dinagat Islands will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated light rains. Metro Manila and the rest of the country will have partly cloudy skies. (Ellalyn V. Ruiz)
