MANILA: A “low pressure area” (LPA) currently about 1,000 km east the Philippines’ area of responsibility (PAR) could pummel the central islands as a severe tropical depression or typhoon from as early as December 16 (Wednesday), weathermen warned on Sunday.
The weather pattern has now intensified into a tropical depression, after initially being spotted at 144 °E and 5 °N. It is expected to further intensify into a tropical storm within the next 24 hours, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said on December 12, 2021.
“The low pressure area outside the Philippine area of responsibility southeast of Palau has developed into a tropical depression,” Pagasa said in an advisory at 11 am Sunday.
December is typically a typhoon season in the southeast Asian country.
“Due to favorable environmental conditions, the tropical cyclone will likely continue to intensify and may reach typhoon category by Tuesday evening or Wednesday early morning,” Pagasa further said.
Weathermen said the tropical depression was spotted 2,095 kilometers east of Mindana as of 8am Sunday.
It currently packs maximum sustained winds of 45 km/h near the center and gustiness of up to 55 kph.
“Current track and intensity forecast shows that there is a moderate to high likelihood that Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) will be hoisted for the provinces of Visayas and Mindanao. The highest possible wind signal that may be hoisted for this tropical cyclone is TCWS #4,” Pagasa said.
Moving west
The weather bureau said the tropical depression is expected to move generally west-northwest over the next three days and may enter PAR on Tuesday.
The tropical cyclone will be named “Odette”, once it goes inside PAR.
By Wednesday evening or Thursday morning, the tropical cyclone will begin to move west and may make landfall in Eastern Visayas and the Caraga region in Mindanao.
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