Two weather disturbances moved closer to the Philippines ahead of Christmas, the state weather bureau said Sunday.
One, a tropical depression off Mindanao, is expected to enter the Philippine area of responsibility on Sunday night or early on Monday and is forecast to make landfall over the Visayas or Mindanao, PAGASA weather specialist Meno Mendoza said.
The storm was spotted 1,510 kilometers east of Mindanao at 3 a.m., moving west-northwest at 25 kilometers per hour and packing maximum winds of 55 kph and gusts of up to 70 kph.
The weather disturbance will be named “Ursula” if it enters the Philippines and will become the 21st storm to enter the country this year.
Meanwhile, a shallow low-pressure area will bring scattered rain over Mindanao and eastern and central Visayas, PAGASA said