Goni to bring heavy rains this week

The state weather bureau alerted the public yesterday to brace for heavy rains later this week brought by Tropical Storm Goni, which is expected to enter the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) tomorrow night or early Wednesday.

Gener Quitlong, weather forecaster of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), said Goni was spotted at 2,515 kilometers east of Southern Luzon as of 2 a.m. yesterday.

Goni, which will be given the local name “Ineng” once inside PAR, is packing winds of 100 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 130 kph. It was moving west-northwest at 15 kph.

Quitlong said Goni may intensify into a typhoon before it enters the PAR.

If Goni maintains its present track, it would directly affect extreme Northern Luzon, and might make landfall in the Batanes islands, Quitlong said.

He said they were also monitoring a high-pressure area ( HPA) north of Goni, which could push it down further toward Northern Luzon areas.

He said there is a high probability that the weathe r disturbance would enhance the southwest monsoon, which will bring rains in other parts of the country beginning Thursday until the weekend.

“By Thursday, the southwest monsoon would bring rains over Visayas and Mindanao. By Friday, rains would reach Central and Southern Luzon, including Metro Manila,” Quitlong said.

He said Goni is likely to exit the PAR on Sunday.

Meanwhile, PAGASA was also keeping a close watch over another storm over the Pacific Ocean.

The storm with international name Atsani was located 4,440 km east of Central Luzon as of 2 a.m. yesterday.

ANDY ZAPATA JR. Workers prepare a side of the mountain for shotcreting – a process in which concrete is sprayed onto a surface – to prevent erosion and landslides, which are common during the typhoon season along Kennon Road in Tuba, Benguet yesterday.