'Onyok' reenters Phl

MANILA, Philippines - Tropical storm “Onyok” (international name Roke) reentered the Philippine area of responsibility yesterday afternoon, the weather bureau said.

Onyok first entered the country last week through the extreme area of Northern Luzon but was expected to linger within the PAR for a few hours before moving to Japan.

Forecaster Manny Mendoza of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the exit of the tropical storm was being blocked by high-pressure areas in its northwest and northeast side. He said the weather disturbance will not directly affect the country but it would strengthen the southwest monsoon.

In its 11 a.m. advisory, the weather bureau said Onyok was estimated to be at 850 kilometers northeast of Basco, Batanes with maximum winds of 75 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 90 kph.

It is forecast to remain almost stationary within the next 24 hours embedded along the monsoon trough affecting Northern and Central Luzon.

These weather systems are expected to bring scattered to widespread rains over the western section particularly over the provinces of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Benguet, Pangasinan and Zambales that might trigger flashfloods and landslides.

Mendoza said rains would be the effect of the southwest monsoon and not the tropical storm. 

In its 5 p.m. weather forecast, PAGASA said Luzon and Mindanao will experience cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms becoming cloudy with widespread rains over the western section of Luzon that may trigger flashfloods and landslides.

The rest of the country will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.

Moderate to strong winds blowing from the southwest would prevail over Luzon with coastal waters expected be moderate to rough. Elsewhere, winds would be light to moderate blowing from the south to southwest with slight to moderate seas.