'Falcon' develops into storm, enhances monsoon

Tropical depression “Falcon" intensified into a tropical storm late Thursday, enhancing the southwest monsoon, the government's weather agency reported. The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said that as of 2 p.m., “Falcon (international name: Nari)" had maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 80 kph. It said “Falcon" was estimated to be 1,090 kilometers east-northeast of the extreme northern Philippines island-province of Batanes. The storm is expected to move west-northwest at 22 kph and enhance the southwest monsoon affecting southern Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao. Pagasa said southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao will experience cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms. The rest of the country will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms. Light to moderate winds blowing from the southwest will prevail over Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao and coming from the northwest to west over the rest of Luzon. Coastal waters throughout the archipelago will be slight to moderate. -GMANews.TV