Pagasa: Intensifying cyclone seen to hit RP this week

A tropical depression southeast of Philippine territory continues to gather strength and may enter the Philippine area of responsibility Thursday or Friday. Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) forecaster Gilbert Aquino said Tuesday the cyclone continued to move westward. “Pupuwede lumakas pa yan, nasa karagatan pa siya. Mga Huwebes o Biyernes (It can still gain more strength. It is still in a body of water. It may enter Philippine territory Thursday or Friday)," Aquino said in an interview on dzBB radio. But as of Tuesday morning, he said the tropical depression was still over 1,000 km east of Philippine territory. Pagasa initially indicated the tropical depression may enter Philippine territory as early as Wednesday. The tropical depression, to be code-named “Agaton" upon entering the country's territory is expected to bring much-needed rains due to the effects of the El Niño weather phenomenon. In the meantime, Aquino said isolated rainshowers and thunderstorms are expected over Metro Manila where rains fell last Sunday afternoon. On the other hand, Aquino said the tropical storm is not an indication that the rainy season is starting early this year. “Di pa [tag-ulan], bigla may namuo sa bandang Pacific (It is not a sign of an early start of the rainy season. It just that the cyclone formed in the Pacific Ocean)," he said. Meanwhile, Pagasa's 5 a.m. bulletin said a wind convergence is affecting Mindanao and Eastern Visayas. "Mindanao and Eastern Visayas will experience mostly cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms. The rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms," it said. — LBG, GMANews.TV