Severe tropical storm 'Francisco' enters PAR, trough brings rains to VisMin

LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu — A severe tropical storm entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Saturday night, June 20, and was assigned the local name “Francisco,” the state weather bureau said.

As of 5 a.m. on Sunday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) located the storm at 1,315 kilometers east of southeastern Luzon.

It packed maximum sustained winds of 100 kilometers per hour near the center, with gusts of up to 125 kilometers per hour.

READ: Cyclone likely to enter PAR on Saturday, may trigger ‘habagat’

The storm moved west-northwestward at 25 km/h.

Trough brings rains

Francisco is less likely to directly affect weather conditions across the country today, Pagasa said.

READ: Scattered rains on weekend due to cyclone’s trough, ‘habagat’

However, its trough or extension will bring cloudy skies and rain showers in the Bicol Region and eastern Visayas.

The bureau said that based on the storm’s latest track, it may raise Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 in some areas in Cagayan, Babuyan Islands, and Batanes by Monday morning.

Pagasa said the storm may remain over the Philippine Sea throughout the forecast period, but may approach extreme northern Luzon if it continues to shift westward.

It added that Francisco may reach typhoon category on Sunday and may reach peak intensity in the next two days.

Habagat prevails

Pagasa said the southwest monsoon or “habagat,” along with the effects of the storm’s trough, will bring scattered rains and thunderstorms across the Visayas, Mindanao, and Palawan, including Kalayaan Islands.

The habagat is also seen to bring strong to gale-force winds over Siquijor, Camiguin, and the southern portions of Davao Oriental, Davao Occidental, and Sarangani on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the bureau warned of moderate seas of up to two meters high in the eastern seaboards of Catanduanes, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Dinagat Islands, Siargao-Bucas Grande Islands, Surigao del Sur, and Davao Oriental.

Other affected areas include the eastern and southern seaboards of Davao Occidental.

However, no gale warning has been issued as of Sunday morning.

Pagasa urged the public and disaster risk reduction and management offices to monitor the latest updates and take the appropriate measures needed amid the prevailing weather systems.

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