The low-pressure area over the Philippine Sea has developed into a Tropical Depression and was given a local name "Goring" on Thursday morning, August 24, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said.
In its 5 AM bulletin, PAGASA said the center of the eye of Goring was last tracked 400 kilometers (km) East Northeast of Aparri in Cagayan province.
It is packed with maximum sustained winds of 55 km per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 70 kph while it is slowly moving West Northwestward.
Goring is expected to move generally northwestward in the next 12 hours and turn southward to the waters off the eastern coast of Cagayan Valley.
PAGASA said that Goring is forecasted to steadily intensify and reach the tropical storm category on Thursday evening or Friday early morning.
The state weather bureau noted that the Tropical Depression is unlikely to bring heavy rain to the country in the next three days.
“However, considering the proximity of the tropical cyclone to land, any westward shift in the track forecast may result in heavy rainfall over portions of Cagayan Valley in the next three days,” it added.
PAGASA said western portions of Central and Southern Luzon may experience occasional rains by Sunday or Monday due to the southwest monsoon enhanced by Goring.
The southwest monsoon may also bring gusty conditions over Southern Luzon, Visayas, and portions of Caraga.
“The gusty conditions are more likely in coastal and upland/mountainous areas exposed to winds,” it noted.
Goring is the seventh Tropical Cyclone that entered the Philippine Area of Responsbility (PAR) this year.
