MANILA, (PNA) — Tropical Storm Santi maintained strength and has slightly accelerated and is now moving West towards Aurora-Isabela Area, the state weather forecaster said on Thursday.
Weather Forecaster Joey Figuracion said as of 4 p.m. the center of tropical Storm Santi was located at 490 km East of Baler, Aurora (15.6°N, 126.6°E) with maximum winds of 95 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 120 kph.
Figuracion said Santi’s movement change to west northwest from westward also accelerated from 11 kph to 15 kph Thursday afternoon.
He noted that if Santi maintains its present direction and speed, it is expected to make landfall between Aurora and Isabela provinces on Saturday.
He added areas within its 400-km diameter of tropical storm will experience rains amounting from 5 to 20 millimeters, which is classified as “moderate to intense.”
Figuracion said Santi is expected to linger in the Philippine territory until weekend and will likely exit the Philippine area of responsibility on Sunday headed towards Vietnam.
Santi is forecast to be at 160 km East of Baler, Aurora by Friday afternoon.
It also expected to be at the vicinity of Iba, Zambales by Saturday afternoon and expected to be 380 km West Northwest of Iba, Zambales by Sunday afternoon.
Figuracion also said that public storm warning signal no. 1 (30-60 kph winds) still hoisted over Catanduanes, Camarines Sur, Isabela, Aurora, Quezon, Polilio Islands and Camarines Norte.
PAGASA advised residents of areas under Public Storm Warning Signal #1 to be alert against possible flashfloods and landslides.
PAGASA also said that sea travel is risky over the eastern seaboards of Northern Luzon and of Visayas.
In the next 24 hours, PAGASA said that the rest of Bicol region will experience cloudy skies with moderate to occasionally heavy rainshowers and thunderstorms which may trigger flash floods and landslides.
It added that Metro Manila, the rest of Luzon, Visayas And Zamboanga Peninsula will be cloudy with light to moderate rain showers and thunderstorms while Palawan and the rest of Mindanao will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms.
Meanwhile, Figuracion said that the agency is also keeping watch on another tropical depression over the Pacific Ocean that may enter the country on Sunday.
He said once it enters the PAR as a cyclone it will be named Tino.
However, he noted that just like typhoon Ramil, it willonly stay briefly in PAR and is not expected to hit the land in any part country.
Earlier, PAGASA said it expects two to three cyclones toenter the country this month.