Courtesy of Japanese Meteorological Agency
MANILA— Tropical Storm Siony slightly picked up strength over the Philippine Sea, weather bureau PAGASA said shortly before noon Tuesday, as Tropical Storm Rolly was about the leave the country after devastating the eastern coast of Luzon over the weekend.
Siony was packing maximum sustained wind speeds of 85 kilometers per hour (kph), with gusts of up to 105 kph, the national weather agency said in its 11 a.m. bulletin. It was last spotted 565 kilometers east of Basco, Batanes.
PAGASA said Siony was forecast to intensify into a severe tropical storm on Wednesday and may become a typhoon on Thursday before grazing or hitting land over extreme northern Luzon.
“A landfall scenario over Batanes-Babuyan Islands area around Friday remains likely,” it said. “However, due to the projected quasi-stationary state of this tropical storm, there remains a high degree of uncertainty in the forecast track.”
On Tuesday, the trough or extension of Siony and the northeasterlies will bring light to moderate with at times heavy rains over Batanes, Apayao, Cagayan and Isabela.
PAGASA warned flooding may occur during heavy or prolonged rainfall especially in areas that are highly susceptible to these hazards.
Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Rolly, which made landfall as a super typhoon then weakened on its way across parts of southern Luzon Sunday leaving at least 20 people dead, is about to exit the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR).
PAGASA said the tropical cyclone, by far the world’s strongest storm this year, was last seen 540 kilometers west of Subic, Zambales.
Rolly had also slightly gained strength, packing maximum sustained winds of 75 kph and gustiness of up to 90 kph.
The agency said Rolly was no longer directly affecting the country and may remain as a tropical storm throughout the forecast period.
PAGASA also cautioned travelers that the combined effects of the 2 tropical storms and the enhanced northeasterlies would bring rough seas of up to 4.5 meters over the seaboards of northern Luzon.
Sea travel is risky over these waters, especially for those using small seacraft.
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