(Updated 10:02 p.m.) The tropical storm threatening the Philippines intensified further as it continued to move toward Philippine territory Sunday afternoon, prompting Malacañang to order concerned agencies to prepare for its arrival.
PAGASA expects the storm to enter Philippine territory between Sunday night and early Monday.
As of 4 p.m., the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the storm was spotted some 1,050 km east of northern Mindanao.
In its 5 p.m. bulletin, PAGASA said the storm packs maximum sustained winds of 85 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 100 kph.
PAGASA added "Songda" is forecast to move west-northwest at 11 kph. It will be called "Chedeng" when it enters Philippine territory.
"Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao will experience mostly cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms. The rest of Luzon will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms mostly in the afternoon or evening," it said.
Light to moderate winds blowing from the east to southeast will prevail over Northern and Central Luzon and coming from the Northeast to Northwest over the rest of the country.
The coastal waters throughout the archipelago will be slight to moderate, PAGASA said.
Palace to PAGASA, agencies: Be ready
Malacañang on Sunday instructed PAGASA and other agencies to be on alert for the approaching storm. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said PAGASA will be the key player as its advisories will determine where to focus preparations and send relief items.
“Papasok pa lang sa Philippine area of responsibility and I expect PAGASA will advise as the storm progresses kung saan tayo dapat mag-preposition ng goods and precautions natin," Valte said on government-run dzRB radio.
“We expect all the units, the usual units concerned, agencies natin to be on alert... kung may pangangailangan for evacuation," she added.
Valte said the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will send relief goods in advance to areas that are expected to be hit by the storm in coordination with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, depending on PAGASA’s forecasts.
“It’s a matter of coordination and pag-alerto sa posibleng daanan ng bagyo (It’s a matter of coordination on where the storm will hit)," she said.
PAGASA: Rains not due to approaching storm
Meanwhile, PAGASA said the rains that fell on parts of Metro Manila late Sunday were not caused by the approaching tropical storm.
PAGASA made the clarification through its newly reactivated Twitter account.
"(The) rain showers and thunderstorms in Metro Manila (are) due to local convection that eventually forms localized thunderstorm clouds," it said.
PAGASA had temporarily deactivated its Twitter account last May 11 after tropical storm "Bebeng" (Aere) left Philippine territory.
"Bebeng" left at least 35 dead and P1.370 billion in damage to property when it pummeled parts of the country.
With its Twitter account, PAGASA can give hourly updates on a cyclone's path, as compared to its website, which gives updates every six hours. — KBK/HS/YA,
