By Rjay Zuriaga Castor
Scattered rain showers and thunderstorms are expected in the Western Visayas area over the weekend as the tropical depression outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) has intensified into a tropical storm.
In an 11 a.m. bulletin on Friday, July 28, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) reported that tropical storm Khanun was 1,345 kilometers east of Eastern Visayas.
Khanun currently has maximum sustained winds of 55 km/h to 65 km/h and gustiness of up to 80 km/h from 70 km/h.
PAG-ASA said that Khanun will be given the local name Falcon when it enters PAR between late Saturday evening and Sunday morning.
The state weather bureau said it will enhance the southwest monsoon or “habagat,” which may bring cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms, as well as occasional rains, to Western Visayas.
PAGASA warns that Khanun might further strengthen in the coming five days and could attain severe tropical storm status within 24 hours. It could become a typhoon late Saturday evening or early Sunday morning, just before its expected entry into PAR.
Meanwhile, the southwest monsoon is bringing more rain to much of Luzon and the Visayas, being enhanced by Typhoon Egay (Doksuri), which moved past PAR on Thursday.
As of Friday afternoon, the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported that 29,313 families or 123,108 individuals in Western Visayas have been displaced by Typhoon Egay.
