Manila: Tropical Depression Ramil maintained its strength and might intensify into a tropical storm as it moves west southwestward at 25 kilometers per hour over the Philippine Sea, the weather bureau said on Friday. In its 5 p.m. advisory, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) reported Ramil's location at 640 kilometers east of Juban, Sorsogon, with maximum sustained winds of 55 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 70 kph.
According to Philippines News Agency, more areas in Luzon have been placed under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 1. These include the southeastern portion of Isabela, eastern and southern portions of Quirino, southeastern portion of Nueva Vizcaya, Aurora, the eastern portion of Nueva Ecija, eastern portion of Bulacan, northern and eastern portions of Quezon including Pollilo Islands, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Albay, Sorsogon, Burias Island, and Ticao Island.
In Visayas, areas under Signal No. 1 are Northern Samar, northern portion of Eastern Samar, and northern portion of Samar. Weather specialist Benison Estareja of PAGASA indicated that Ramil is forecast to intensify into a tropical storm by Friday night or early Saturday morning.
'During this weekend, posibleng lumakas ito (it is possible that it will strengthen) up to 75 kph based on the latest track of PAGASA. Pero hindi pa natin inaalis yun chance na lumakas ito (But we have not yet ruled out the chance that it will intensify) from 80 to 90 kph,' Estareja mentioned.
Ramil is expected to move generally westward for the next 24 hours before turning west northwestward towards Central and Southern Luzon. PAGASA predicted that Ramil might make landfall over Catanduanes on Saturday afternoon, bringing rains with gusty winds over the Bicol Region, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, and Samar.
Meanwhile, Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Isabela, Bulacan, Aurora, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and the rest of Visayas are expected to experience cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms due to the trough of Ramil. The trough and outer rainbands of Ramil, along with the easterlies, will also bring strong to gale-force gusts over the areas not under TCWS.
