‘Carina’ intensifies into tropical storm, to enhance ‘habagat’

MANILA: Tropical Depression Carina has intensified into a tropical storm while Tropical Depression Butchoy has exited the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Sunday. As of 3 a.m., the center of Tropical Depression Butchoy was estimated at 905 km west of Iba, Zambales (16.3ºN, 111.6ºE) moving westward at 15 kilometers per hour (kph) with maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour kph near the center and gustiness of up to 70 kph. Tropical storm Carina's peak winds increased to 75 km per hour near the center, and gusts to 90 kph as it moved west-northwestward at 10 kph. It was last seen 490 km East of Casiguran, Aurora. Carina is expected to be outside PAR by Thursday but while in the country, it will continue to enhance the southwest monsoon or "habagat" and bring rains over the next three days. For the Sunday forecast, the southwest monsoon, enhanced by the tropical storm, is expected to bring cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms over western Luzon particularly Antique, Occidental Mindoro, Zambales, Bataan, Pangasinan, La Union, and Northern Palawan including Cuyo, Calamian, and Kalayaan Islands. Fair weather or partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms is expected in Metro Manila, Mindanao, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, the rest of Visayas, and the rest of Mimaropa. At the same time, then rest of Luzon will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms. The Visayas, Mindanao, and the western sections of Luzon will experience moderate to strong winds and moderate to rough seas. The rest of Luzon will have light to moderate winds and slightly moderate coastal waters. Source: Philippines News Agency