‘Opong’ in PAR; heavy rains seen starting Thursday
Tropical Depression “Opong” entered the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) on Tuesday afternoon and may develop into a severe tropical storm by Thursday afternoon, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said.
At 4 p.m., Opong was located around 1,045 kilometers east of northeastern Mindanao and moving west-southwestward at 10 kilometers per hour (kph). It has maximum sustained winds of 55 kph and gustiness of up to 70 kph.
Opong will bring heavy rains beginning Thursday onwards, and may make landfall over Northern Samar by early Friday.
Pagasa also warned of 100 to 200 millimeters (mm) of rain in Zambales and Bulacan from Tuesday evening to Wednesday afternoon, while the following areas are expected to experience 50 to 100 mm of rainfall: Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Benguet, Tarlac, Pampanga and Occidental Mindoro.
Opong is forecast to exit PAR by Sunday afternoon, Pagasa said.
