LPA develops into tropical depression, named ‘Goring’

THE low pressure area (LPA) off Cagayan has developed into a tropical depression named 'Goring', the seventh storm to enter this year and first this month, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said on Thursday.

In a tropical cyclone bulletin, Pagasa said Goring was estimated some 400 kilometers east-northeast of Aparri, also in the same province.

Moving west-northwestward slowly, the tropical depression has maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 70kph, the state-run weather agency said.

It said that Goring is less likely to bring heavy rainfall over the country in the next three days.

“However, considering the proximity of the tropical cyclone to land, any westward shift in the track forecast may result in heavy rainfall over portions of Cagayan Valley in the next three days,” the 5 a.m. bulletin said.

It added that the southwest monsoon locally known as “habagat” will be likely enhanced by Goring beginning Sunday or Monday resulting in possible occasional rains over the western portions of Central and Southern Luzon.

Pagasa said the raising of storm signal over areas in Northern Luzon may begin Thursday night or Friday.

“However, the hoisting may happen earlier should there be changes in the forecast scenario,” it said.

Pagasa said Goring may steadily intensify throughout the forecast period and will likely reach tropical storm category Thursday night or early Friday morning.

It may be upgraded into a typhoon category by Sunday during the southward segment of its looping track, the latest bulletin said.

In particular, Cagayan and Cordillera Administrative Region are affected by the trough of Goring while Metro Manila and the rest of the country will experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms due to the southwest monsoon and localized thunderstorms, Pagasa said.