Tropical Storm Josie entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility early Tuesday morning but is anticipated to exit by Tuesday night or early Wednesday, according to the state weather bureau PAGASA.
As of 4:00 AM, the storm’s center was tracked 1,085 kilometers east of Eastern Visayas, packing maximum sustained winds of 65 km/h and gusts of up to 80 km/h while moving northwest at 25 km/h.
While PAGASA noted that the storm will not make a direct landfall or directly impact the country’s weather, it is currently intensifying the southwest monsoon (habagat). This enhancement is expected to trigger strong to gale-force winds across various regions over the next few days.
On Tuesday, gusty conditions are anticipated in the Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Cavite, Batangas, and Occidental Mindoro. By Wednesday, the winds will likely persist over the Ilocos Region, Abra, Apayao, Zambales, Bataan, Batanes, and the Babuyan Islands, before concentrating primarily over the Ilocos Region, Abra, Apayao, Batanes, and the Babuyan Islands on Thursday.
Additionally, a gale warning has been hoisted as rough seas of up to three meters are expected along the western seaboards of the Babuyan Islands and Pangasinan, alongside the coastlines of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, and La Union. Small sea vessels and motor bancas have been strongly advised to suspend operations due to hazardous marine conditions.
Josie is projected to track northward before veering northeast toward the PAR boundary.
Due to a hostile atmospheric environment, meteorologists expect the storm to weaken into a tropical depression within 12 hours and degenerate into a low-pressure area by Wednesday.