Storm ‘Songda’ intensifies further, closes in on PHL

source: gmanews

The tropical storm threatening the Philippines intensified further as it continued to move toward Philippine territory Sunday afternoon.

As of 4 p.m., the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said the storm was some 1,050 km east of northern Mindanao.

Six hours earlier, PAGASA said storm (international name: Songda) was 1,070 km east of northern Mindanao, with maximum sustained winds of 75 kph and gustiness of up to 90 kph

In its 5 p.m. bulletin, PAGASA said the storm now packs maximum sustained winds of 85 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 100 kph.

PAGASA added "Songda" is forecast to move west-northwest at 11 kph. It will be called "Chedeng" when it enters Philippine territory.

"Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao will experience mostly cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms. The rest of Luzon will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms mostly in the afternoon or evening," it said.

Light to moderate winds blowing from the East to Southeast will prevail over Northern and Central Luzon and coming from the Northeast to Northwest over the rest of the country.

The coastal waters throughout the archipelago will be slight to moderate.

source: gmanews