‘Agaton’ too far to affect RP, may exit Saturday — PAGASA

Tropical Storm Agaton (international code name Omais) will likely linger in Philippine territory until Saturday night before it exits or is dissolved, state weather forecasters said Friday. But Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) forecaster Gener Quitlong maintained that Agaton remains too far to affect any part of the country. "Ang nakikita natin base sa model na ginagamit natin baka bukas ng gabi makalabas ito ng Philippine area of responsibility. O pwede itong matunaw dahil pataas ito at malamig sa lugar, posibleng matunaw ito (Based on our models, it may exit the Philippine area of responsibility Saturday night. Or it may dissolve when it moves northward and encounters a cold front there)," Quitlong said in an interview on dzBB radio. "Masyadong malayo ito para makaapekto sa atin (It is still too far to affect any part of the country)," he added. Pagasa's 5 a.m. bulletin said Agaton was estimated at 860 km east northeast of Virac, Catanduanes as of 4 a.m., packing maximum sustained winds of 65 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 80 kph. The cyclone, the first to enter Philippine territory this year, is forecast to move north northeast at 11 kph. On Thursday. PAGASA forecaster Elvie Enriquez said Agaton was unlikely to make landfall in any part of the country. [See: 'Agaton' intensifies into storm, but useless vs El Niño] Meanwhile, Pagasa said a cold front is affecting northern Luzon. "Northern Luzon and the eastern section of Central Luzon will experience mostly cloudy skies with scaterred light rains. The rest the country will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms," Pagasa said. — RSJ, GMANews.TV