By ELLALYN V. RUIZ
The severe tropical storm with the international name “Trami” rapidly intensified into a typhoon before it was expected to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility yesterday.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration located Trami 1,260 kilometers east of Central Luzon at noon yesterday.
Trami, which will be locally called “Paeng” once inside the PAR, will be the second tropical cyclone to affect the country this month, following typhoon “Ompong.”
Ompong (international name “Mangkhut”) left a trail of destruction in Northern Luzon, also killing dozens and destroying billions worth in agriculture and infrastructure.
Trami is threatening to move towards Northern Luzon area, particularly Batanes or the Babuyan Group of Islands by weekend.
It packs maximum sustained winds of 120 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 145 kph. It is forecast to move west-northwest at 25 kph.
It has no significant enhancement of the southwest monsoon so far but may induce monsoon rains by mid-week when the typhoon moves closer to the country.