Pagasa: Storm 'Pepeng' threatens RP’s extreme north

Four days after storm 'Ondoy' left the country with the death toll likely hitting 300, another tropical storm is expected to enter the Philippine territory Wednesday afternoon, which will likely hit the Batanes group of islands and extreme northern Luzon, state weather forecasters said Wednesday.

The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said the storm with international codename "Parma" will dump rains in the Visayas and Mindanao as it enters the country.

"Yung worst scenario, tatama dito sa may Batanes-Taiwan area, sa extreme Northern Luzon (Our models show the worst scenario is that it will hit the Batanes-Taiwan area, in extreme Northern Luzon)," Pagasa forecaster Gener Quitlong said in an interview on dzBB radio.

As of Wednesday morning, Pagasa said the storm intensified further as it continued to move closer to the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR).

But Quitlong said there is also a chance the storm, to be code-named "Pepeng" upon entry in the PAR Wednesday afternoon, will veer away without making landfall.

"May posibilidad, kasi ‘di parehas ang model, may chance na gigilid lang at lalayo ito, di na tatama ng kalupaan (Our models also show there is a chance it will just veer away and not make landfall at all)," he said.

For now, he said the storm is still too far to affect any part of the country directly.

On the other hand, he said the cyclone will enhance the southwest monsoon and bring rains to parts of the country.

"Pagpasok nito mapapalakas uli ang hanging habagat (Once it enters Philippine territory, the storm will enhance the southwest monsoon)," he said.

In its 5 a.m. bulletin, Pagasa said Parma (Pepeng) was estimated at 1,110 km east of Mindanao with maximum sustained winds of 75 kph and gustiness of up to 90 kph.

Pagasa said "Parma" is forecast to move west-northwest at 19 kph.

"Extreme Northern Luzon, Eastern Visayas and Eastern Mindanao will experience mostly cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms. The rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms," it said.