What’s the weather like in your area? Tweet us at @rapplerdotcom.

MANILA, Philippines – The tropical depression that forecasters have been monitoring entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) at 2 am on Saturday, September 28. It has been given the local name Onyok.

In a bulletin issued 5 am on Saturday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Tropical Depression Onyok is 1,100 kilometers east of Virac, Catanduanes.

It is moving northwest at a relatively fast 30 kilometers per hour (km/h).

The tropical depression has maximum winds of 55 km/h and gustiness of up to 70 km/h. It may intensify into a tropical storm within 24 hours, according to PAGASA.

PAGASA said Onyok is less likely to make landfall in the Philippines. There are no areas under tropical cyclone wind signals, too.

But Onyok’s trough or extension is expected to bring scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms, ranging from light to moderate, in the following areas:

Saturday, September 28, until Sunday, September 29

• Bicol
• Eastern Visayas

Residents of those regions must stay on alert for possible flash floods or landslides. (READ: FAST FACTS: Tropical cyclones, rainfall advisories)

The rest of the country will only have isolated rainshowers or localized thunderstorms on Saturday.

Based on Onyok’s latest forecast track, it could leave PAR on Tuesday, October 1.

Onyok is the Philippines’ 15th tropical cyclone for 2019, and the 5th in September. (READ: LIST: PAGASA’s names for tropical cyclones in 2019)

The country gets an average of 20 tropical cyclones annually, but since 2019 is an El Niño year, only 14 to 18 tropical cyclones are expected.

At most 4 tropical cyclones had been previously forecast for September. Below is the estimated number of tropical cyclones from September to December:

• September – 2 to 4
• October – 2 or 3
• November – 1 or 2
• December – 0 or 1

PAGASA declared the start of the rainy season last June 14. – Rappler.com