MANILA: A tropical depression is expected to reach the Philippine Area of Responsibility today and intensify before it affects the country.
The state weather bureau said in a 10.30am advisory yesterday that the cyclone is currently located 1,400 kilometres east of Visayas with winds of up to 45 kilometres per hour.
Once inside the Philippine geographic region, the cyclone will be renamed “Luis.”
While the agency has not yet released details on the incoming weather disturbance, the United States Navy’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center said the cyclone has tracked west-northwestward over the Pacific Ocean at 16 knots or 29.6kmph.
It may intensify into a typhoon reaching 185kmph in sustained winds and gusts of up to 231kmph as it passes over the northern part of Luzon, affecting Metro Manila and Visayas areas by Monday, September 15.
The Philippine star