Tropical Storm Surigae Enters PAR, Brings Rain to Mindanao

Tropical Storm Surigae (international name) entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) around 7:00 a.m. on Thursday and has been assigned the local name Queenie, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) announced during an 11:30 a.m. press conference. Surigae was last located 1,310 kilometers east of Northern Luzon, packing maximum sustained winds of 75 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of up to 90 kph. PAGASA weather specialist John Manalo said that the trough, or extension, of tropical storm Surigae will bring rains over northeastern Mindanao and parts of the Davao region in the next 24 hours. "(Surigae) has a slight effect," Mr. Manalo said during the press conference in Filipino. "This means that there is partly cloudy weather here, which could possibly bring some rain." Surigae will also bring gale-force gusts to extreme Northern Luzon, Batanes, the Babuyan Islands and Ilocos Norte during the same period. The same condition is expected from Friday to Saturday in Davao Oriental, Davao Occidental and Sarangani. As for its forecast track and intensity, Tropical Storm Surigae is projected to maintain its strength until Friday and gradually intensify into a typhoon by Saturday. It will remain a typhoon until it exits PAR on Tuesday morning. Surigae is the country’s 17th tropical cyclone this year and the first for this month. By year-end, up to six tropical cyclones are still likely to develop and enter PAR, Mr. Manalo said. The Philippines frequently experiences tropical cyclones, and the arrival of Queenie serves as a reminder of the ongoing typhoon season. Residents in affected areas, particularly in Mindanao, are advised to monitor weather updates and take necessary precautions against potential heavy rainfall and related hazards.