Chedeng may intensify into severe tropical storm on Wednesday night

Tropical Storm Chedeng may intensify into a severe tropical storm in the next hours as it continues to move west-northwestward over the Philippine Sea, state weather bureau PAGASA said Thursday.

According to PAGASA's tropical cyclone bulletin at 5 p.m., the eye of the tropical cyclone was estimated based on all available data 1,150 kilometers east of Southeastern Luzon.

It is slowly heading west-northwestward slowly while packing maximum sustained winds of 85 kilometers per hour (km/h) near the center and gustiness of up to 105 km/h.

No storm signal was raised over any portion of the country as Chedeng is unlikely to directly bring heavy rainfall in the next three to five days, according to PAGASA.

It is also unlikely for the weather disturbance to cause rough sea conditions over the country’s coastal waters in the next 24 hours.

“Although the current forecast scenario for this tropical cyclone may result in the enhancement of the southwest monsoon, the timing and intensity of monsoon rains over the country may still change due to the dependence of monsoon enhancement on the forecast movement and intensity of Chedeng as well as its interaction with the other weather systems surrounding it,” PAGASA said.

On the forecast track, Chedeng is forecast to intensify in the next 3 to 4 days and may be upgraded to a severe tropical storm category on Wednesday night or Thursday.

It could become a typhoon late Thursday or Friday.

"Rapid intensification is not ruled out. Peak intensity may be reached by Friday or Saturday," PAGASA said.

The tropical cyclone is seen to move generally northwestward or west-northwestward Thursday through Saturday morning, before turning more northward or north-northeastward over the rest of the weekend.

It will remain far from the Philippine landmass throughout the forecast period. —NB, GMA Integrated News