Warm and humid weather will continue to prevail across the archipelago due to the easterlies, even as Tropical Storm Caloy (international name: Hagupit) entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Saturday night.
As of 3:00 AM Sunday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) tracked the storm at 925 kilometers east of northeastern Mindanao. Moving west-northwest at 15 kph, the storm packs maximum sustained winds of 65 kph and gusts reaching 80 kph.
While PAGASA clarified that the storm has no direct impact on the country at present, the trough or extension of the storm is expected to bring rains over Eastern Visayas and Mindanao by Sunday night.
“It is forecast to weaken into a tropical depression by tomorrow evening and further weaken into a remnant low on Monday,” the weather bureau said.
Simultaneously, a low pressure area (LPA) inside the monitoring domain is being observed, though it remains “unlikely” to develop into a tropical depression within the next 24 hours. Metro Manila and the rest of the country can expect partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated thunderstorms.
Despite the storm’s presence, extreme heat remains a primary concern.
PAGASA has issued warnings for 26 areas expected to hit “danger-level” heat indices. Dagupan City, Aparri, Sangley Point, and Cuyo are forecast to reach a peak of 44°C.
Under a heat index ranging from 42°C to 51°C, the weather bureau warned that “heat cramps and heat exhaustion are likely,” urging the public to take necessary precautions against the persistent humid conditions.