BY ELLALYN V. RUIZ
A tropical storm, with international name “Chan-hom,” may briefly enter the northeastern border of the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) by Wednesday, and once inside, will be given its local name “Nika.”
In its tropical cyclone advisory issued at 11 a.m. Monday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) estimated the location of the storm at 1,780 kilometers (kms) east of extreme Northern Luzon or still outside the PAR.
Chan-hom is a kind of tree and was contributed by Laos.
Chan-hom was a tropical depression in the morning but intensified into a tropical storm before noon with maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 80 kph.
It is seen to continuously intensify throughout the forecast period.
The tropical cyclone will initially move west then northwest until Tuesday before accelerating northwest on Wednesday towards the northeastern boundary of the PAR.
Latest forecast track by PAGASA said Chan-hom will likely enter the PAR on Wednesday and will exit the same day.
PAGASA said Chan-hom is unlikely to directly affect the weather condition in the country over the next five days.
However, a strong northeasterly surface wind flow ahead of the tropical storm will bring rough to very rough sea conditions over the seaboards of Batanes and Babuyan Islands and the northern coast of Ilocos Norte.
PAGASA advised fisherfolk and seafarers that sea travel risky is risky in these areas, especially for those using small boats. (Ellalyn Ruiz)
