Tropical storm Caloy to enter Phl

Tropical storm Jelawat has moved closer to the Philippine area of responsibility but it is still not expected to hit any part of the country, weathermen said yesterday.

Jelawat, which will be given the local name Caloy, was expected to enter Philippine jurisdiction last night or today.

Rene Paciente, senior weather forecaster of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), said sunny weather would continue to prevail in many parts of the country during the rest of the Holy Week.

“It’s very far from the landmass so we don’t expect heavy rains from the storm,” Paciente told “Heavy rainfall is expected in offshore areas.”

Paciente said some areas, particularly eastern Visayas and eastern Mindanao, could experience light rains due to a trough or extension of the storm.

Other areas can also experience rains due to thunderstorms caused by warm ground temperatures.

As of 3 p.m. yesterday, the center of the storm was at 1,120 kilometers east of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur with maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 80 kph.

The weather disturbance was forecast to move northwest at 20 kph.

Paciente said the cyclone was not expected to make landfall in any part of the Philippines, as it is likely to veer to the north after it enters the Philippine area of responsibility.

Jelawat was forecast to exit on Thursday night or Friday morning.

The country had experienced tropical cyclones during the Lenten season in the last four years, Paciente said.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is ready to respond to emergencies should the weather disturbance intensify.

“We are monitoring the tropical depression and we have advised our regional offices in Mindanao to be ready to activate and deploy their quick response teams when the need arises,” DSWD officer-in-charge Emmanuel Leyco said.

He said aside from the preparations for the approaching tropical depression, the agency is on alert for any event that may require immediate assistance during the observance of Holy Week.

The DSWD currently has P307.21 million in standby funds and 370,567 food packs in strategic areas around the country.

The agency’s disaster response management bureau will continue to monitor weather conditions and coordinate with regional counterparts, while the national response and logistics management service will proceed with its operations.