Typhoon Butchoy enters PAR, to exit Friday

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED; First published 2:30 p.m.) —  A typhoon entered the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) Tuesday afternoon and assigned the name "Butchoy" (international name: Nepartak), state weather bureau PAGASA said.

Although not expected to make landfall, Typhoon Butchoy will enhance the southwest monsoon or habagat in the next few days.

As of 4 p.m., PAGASA located the eye of the typhoon at 1,325 kilometers east of Casiguran, Aurora, moving northwest at 30 kilometers per hour (kph).

At the pre-disaster risk reduction seminar, PAGASA experts said the typhoon is tracking toward Taiwan-Okinawa area and is expected to exit PAR by Friday afternoon.

Butchoy sustains winds of up to 140 kph near the center. Gustiness was recorded at 170 kph.

PAGASA said it is likely that tropical cyclone warning signals will be hoisted over extreme Northern Luzon by Wednesday or early Thursday.

A gale warning can be issued over areas off Visayas and Luzon, particularly, Palawan on Thursday.

Mindoro, Zambales, Pangasinan, Benguet and Panay Island, meanwhile, were warned against possible flash floods and landslides.

In a 5 p.m. advisory, PAGASA said light to moderate rains and thunderstorms will be experienced over Visayas and the regions of Bicol, Mimaropa, Davao and Caraga.

Partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms will similarly prevail over Metro Manila and the rest of the country.

Meteorologist Adam Douty of AccuWeather noted that the Philippines, Taiwan and China are expected to receive the greatest threat from tropical cyclones until the end of August. — Camille Diola