Manila: Tropical Storm Fung-wong has slightly intensified as it moved northwestward near Yap, Micronesia and is continuing its path toward the Philippines, the weather bureau reported on Thursday. Its center was estimated at 1,690 kilometers east of northeastern Mindanao, remaining outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR). The storm has maximum sustained winds of 75 kilometers per hour near the center, gustiness of up to 90 kph, and a central pressure of 996 hPa. It is moving northwestward at 10 kph, with strong to gale-force winds extending outward up to 700 kilometers from the center.
According to Philippines News Agency, Fung-wong is forecast to enter the PAR by late Friday or early Saturday, whereupon it will be given the domestic name Uwan. The storm is likely to make landfall in northern or central Luzon on Monday, potentially at or near its peak intensity. It is expected to rapidly intensify, reaching typhoon category by Friday and possibly achieving super typhoon strength by Saturday.
Meanwhile, Typhoon Tino, internationally known as Kalmaegi, continued to intensify on Thursday as it moved past the Kalayaan Islands and towards Vietnam. The center of Tino was located 355 km northwest of Pag-asa Island, Kalayaan, Palawan, remaining outside the PAR. It exhibited maximum sustained winds of 165 kph near the center and gustiness of 205 kph, moving westward at 49 kph, as stated by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) in its 11 a.m. weather bulletin. Strong typhoon-force winds extended outward up to 480 km from the center.
Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 remains hoisted over the Kalayaan Islands, where strong winds of 39 kph to 61 kph are anticipated within 36 hours. Sea conditions are expected to be rough over the seaboard of the Kalayaan Islands, with waves reaching up to 4 meters. Similarly, rough seas will prevail over the seaboards of Batanes, southern mainland Palawan, and Balabac Island, while moderate to rough seas are expected over the western seaboards of northern and central Luzon and parts of the Visayas and Mindanao. Tino is forecast to move west-northwestward and make landfall over central Vietnam Thursday night.
