A severe tropical storm with the international name Nyatoh could either briefly enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) or completely veer away from it, according to the country’s weather bureau.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in an advisory issued at 11 pm on Wednesday, December 1, that Severe Tropical Storm Nyatoh was located 1,225 kilometers east of Southern Luzon, still outside PAR.

Nyatoh turned north northwest near the PAR eastern boundary, moving at a slow 10 kilometers per hour (km/h).

PAGASA said the severe tropical storm is expected to maintain that direction in the next 12 hours, or until Thursday morning, December 2.

The center line of its projected track shows it may not enter PAR at all.

But the weather bureau is not yet ruling out the possibility of entry, “considering the near-term probability cone, half of which still lies within the PAR region.”

If Nyatoh enters PAR, it would be given the local name Odette, as the Philippines’ 15th tropical cyclone for 2021.

As of Wednesday evening, Nyatoh had maximum sustained winds of 110 km/h and gustiness of up to 135 km/h.

But it is seen to strengthen into a typhoon within 12 hours, and could reach a peak intensity of around 140 km/h by Friday, December 3, before eventually weakening during the weekend.

“Nyatoh may degenerate into a remnant low by Sunday (December 5) as it embeds itself in an eastward-moving cold front,” added PAGASA.

The weather bureau also warned that Nyatoh’s trough or extension may increase the chances of scattered rain and thunderstorms in Bicol, the Visayas, and Mindanao on Thursday, even though the tropical cyclone is far from Philippine landmass.

PAGASA advised the public to monitor rainfall advisories. – Rappler.com