The low pressure area being monitored by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration intensified into a tropical depression yesterday morning.
According to PAGASA weather forecaster Robb Gile, the tropical depression was located 1,540 kilometers east of Mindanao at around 10 a.m. yesterday, with maximum sustained winds of 45 kilometers per hour, moving west-northwest slowly.
He said the tropical cyclone was expected to enter the country’s area of responsibility last night or this morning and will be given the local name “Dante.”
Dante will be the second tropical cyclone to enter the country’s area of responsibility this month and fourth this year.
Gile said the tropical depression has a minimal chance of making landfall over any part of the country. “The tropical cyclone is recurving or moving west-northwest away from the country. That is its general track. There is a slim chance that it will have any effect on the country,” he said.
Meanwhile, the dominant weather system that will affect the country this week will be the warm and humid easterly winds, Gile said. (Ellalyn V. Ruiz)