PAGASA: Weather disturbance off Mindanao expected to enter PAR as severe tropical storm this evening

(Eagle News) — The weather disturbance east of Mindanao is expected to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Tuesday evening.

According to the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, “Rai,” now  a tropical storm, is expected to enter PAR as a severe tropical storm.

Once it enters PAR, it will be named “Odette.”

PAGASA said the weather disturbance will begin moving westward over the Philippine Sea on Wednesday morning and may make landfall in the vicinity of Caraga or Eastern Visayas on Thursday  afternoon or evening.

“There is a high likelihood that Tropical Cyclone Wind Signals will be hoisted for Visayas, large portions of Mindanao, and several provinces in Southern Luzon due to the threat of strong to typhoon-force winds associated with the passage of ‘Rai,'” PAGASA said.

According to the weather bureau, so far, “Rai” was located 1380 kilometers east of Mindanao, packing maximum sustained winds of 85 kilometers per hour and a gustiness of up to 105 kilometers per hour.

Eastern Visayas, Caraga, and Davao Region are expected to have cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms due to the trough of the tropical storm.

Cagayan Valley, Apayao, Kalinga, Ifugao, Mt. Province, and Aurora, meanwhile, will have cloudy skies with light rains due to the northeast monsoon affecting Northern and Central Luzon.

Metro Manila, Ilocos Region, and the rest of Cordillera Administrative Region and Central Luzon will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated light rains.

The rest of the country will have partly cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.

According to PAGASA, Luzon, Visayas, and the eastern section of Mindanao will have moderate to strong winds and moderate to rough coastal waters.

The rest of Mindanao will have light to moderate winds and slight to moderate coastal waters.