Weather: Typhoon Ma-on moving closer to PHL

Typhoon “Ma-on" continued to move closer to Philippine territory and may enhance the southwest monsoon, state weather forecasters said early Sunday morning. But the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) maintained Ma-on is not likely to directly affect any part of the country. “Hindi siya tatama sa kalupaan kasi kikilos siya pahilagang kanluran then pahilaga papuntang Japan. Ang epekto niya hahatakin ang hanging habagat, posibleng magdala ng pag-ulan sa kanlurang bahagi ng Mindanao," PAGASA forecaster Manny Mendoza said in an interview on dzBB radio. Once Ma-on enters Philippine territory, he said it will be locally codenamed “Ineng." Mendoza said that as of 2 a.m. Sunday, the eye of Ma-on was estimated at 1,310 km northeast of Basco, Batanes, with winds of up to 165 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 200 kph. Mendoza said the typhoon was forecast to move northwest at 17 kph and enter the Philippine area of responsibility within the day (Sunday). The typhoon has absorbed part of the winds of tropical depression “Hanna," which left Philippine territory Saturday, he added. Gale warning PAGASA issued a gale warning to fishermen and small sea craft in Central and Southern Luzon. It said strong to gale-force winds are expected to affect the seaboards of Northern Luzon and the eastern seaboard of Central and of Southern Luzon. “Fishing boats and other small sea crafts are advised not to venture out into the sea while larger sea vessels are alerted against big waves," it said. PAGASA’s 5 a.m. bulletin also said Visayas and Eastern Mindanao will experience mostly cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms. It added the rest of the country will experience partly cloudy to at times cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms mostly in the afternoon or evening. — LBG, GMA News