Easterlies Persist in Philippines Amid Tropical Storm Caloy

Manila: Easterlies will continue to bring warm and humid weather despite a tropical storm that entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) Saturday night, the weather bureau said. As of 3 a.m. Sunday, Tropical Storm Caloy (international name Hagupit) is located 925 kilometers east of northeastern Mindanao, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration's (PAGASA) 5 a.m. bulletin. It is moving west northwestward at 15 kilometers per hour (kph) with a maximum sustained winds of 65 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 80 kph. According to Philippines News Agency, PAGASA noted that Caloy currently has no direct impact on any part of the country, but its trough will bring rains over the eastern Visayas and Mindanao on Sunday night. The storm is forecast to weaken into a tropical depression by tomorrow evening and further weaken into a remnant low on Monday. Meanwhile, a low pressure area (LPA) is being monitored inside the monitoring domain of PAGASA a nd is "unlikely" to develop into a tropical depression within the next 24 hours. In its 4 a.m. advisory, PAGASA reported that Metro Manila and the rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms due to easterlies. Extreme Northern Luzon will have moderate to strong east-to-northeast winds with moderate to rough coastal waters, while the rest of the country will experience slight to moderate winds and seas. At least 26 areas in the country will experience a danger-level heat index, with the highest peak index of 44°C forecast for Dagupan City, Pangasinan; Aparri, Cagayan; Sangley Point, Cavite City, Cavite; and Cuyo, Palawan. Other regions, including Sinait, Ilocos Sur and Laoag City, Ilocos Norte, will experience indices of 43°C. Heat cramps and heat exhaustion are likely under a danger-level heat index of 42°C to 51°C.