‘Perla’ now a tropical storm

MANILA, Philippines — “Perla” strengthened into a tropical storm early Friday morning but it still has no direct effect to any part of the country at the moment, state weather bureau PAGASA said.

“Perla”—with international name “Neoguri”—became a tropical storm at 2 a.m.

It was last seen 790 kilometers east of Basco, Batanes with maximum sustained winds of 65 km per hour near the center and gusts of up to 80 kph.

The tropical storm is moving almost stationary.

No tropical cyclone warning signal has been raised yet over any part of the country but “Perla” may bring scattered rains and thunderstorms over Batanes, Cagayan (including Babuyan Islands) and Apayao starting Saturday or Sunday.

PAGASA warned that sea travel is risky, especially for small sea vessels, over the seaboards of Northern Luzon due to potentially rough sea conditions associated with the northeasterly surface windflow.

The northeasterly surface windflow is currently affecting Batanes and Cagayan. Residents of these areas will experience light rains.

Meanwhile, the intertropical convergence zone will bring cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorm over Zamboanga Peninsula, Western Visayas and Palawan.

The rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers.

Forecast positions

• Saturday morning: 600 km east of Basco, Batanes
• Sunday morning: 445 km east of Basco, Batanes
• Monday morning: 415 km east northeast of Basco, Batanes
• Tuesday morning: 460 km east northeast of Basco, Batanes

— Gaea Katreena Cabico