MANILA: Tropical Depression Rosal maintained its strength as it moves northeastward over the Philippine Sea, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Sunday.
In its 5 p.m. bulletin, the weather bureau said the center of Rosal was estimated 505 kilometers east of Tuguegarao City, Cagayan with maximum sustained winds of 55 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 70 kph.
PAGASA said aside from the rain showers caused by the trough of Rosal, the tropical depression is less likely to bring heavy rains in the country throughout the forecast period.
In the next 24 hours, it said the surge of the northeast monsoon partly enhanced by Rosal “may bring occasional gusts reaching gale-force over Batanes and Babuyan Islands and strong breeze to near-gale strengthen over the Ilocos Norte, the northern and eastern portion of Cagayan, and the eastern portion of Isabela.”
Rosal, it added, is forecast to move generally northeastward or east northeastward Sunday through Tuesday morning before turning generally south southeastward.
PAGASA also said Rosal may still intensify into a low-end tropical storm within 24 hours.
“However, increasingly unfavorable conditions associated with the monsoon surge by late Monday will result in a weakening trend. Rosal may become a post-tropical low embedded along the leading edge of the monsoon surge by late Tuesday or Wednesday,” it added.
Source: Philippines News agency
