Tropical Storm “Hagupit” has a possibility of entering the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) over the weekend, according to PAGASA on Thursday, May 7.

Based on PAGASA’s 5 a.m. forecast track and projection, the storm may enter PAR between Saturday evening and early Sunday morning. Once it enters PAR, it will be given the local name “Caloy.”

As of the latest update, Tropical Storm “Hagupit” was located 2,015 km east northeast of Northeastern Mindanao, packing maximum sustained winds of 65 km/h near the center and gustiness of up to 80 km/h. It is moving westward at 20 km/h.

The weather bureau said the system is expected to generally move west northwest in the coming days and may bring potential direct effects to the eastern portions of Southern Luzon and the eastern Visayas early next week.

A weakening trend is also being considered, although PAGASA said there are still uncertainties due to the system’s distance.

"In the next 48 hours, HAGUPIT will further intensify peaking as a high-end tropical storm. Afterwards, due to unfavorable environmental conditions, it will begin to weaken and may be downgraded to tropical depression by next Tuesday (12 May) while over the Philippine Sea," PAGASA said.

Meanwhile, a low pressure area (LPA) inside the Philippine Area of Responsibility continues to bring rains to several parts of the country on Thursday.

As of 3 a.m., the LPA was last located 120 km southeast of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur. PAGASA said it is unlikely to develop into a tropical depression.

The Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Negros Island Region, Caraga, Northern Mindanao, Davao Region, and Zamboanga Peninsula will experience cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms due to the LPA.

Metro Manila and the rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms due to the easterlies.