'Podul' may enter PAR soon — PAGASA

Severe Tropical Storm “Podul” may enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) between Sunday evening, 10 August and Monday morning, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services (PAGASA) said.

In its 11:00 AM advisory on Sunday, the state weather bureau said Podul was estimated 1,680 kilometers east of extreme Northern Luzon, outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) with maximum sustained winds of 110 km/h and gustiness of up to 135 km/h.

Once Podul enters PAR, it will be given the local name of “Gorio.”

Podul’s track change may raise Tropical Cyclone Signal Warning over Batanes but it is not expected to directly affect most parts of the country within the next five days.

It is also forecast to move close or over the southern Ryukyu Islands in Japan before making landfall in Taiwan on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the southwest monsoon (habagat) will continue to bring scattered rains and thunderstorms over parts of Luzon on Sunday.

Metro Manila, Zambales, Cavite, Batangas, Occidental Mindoro, and Palawan will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms. 

The rest of the country will generally experience partly cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms due to localized thunderstorms with possible flash floods or landslides.