NIMFA, the country's 14th tropical cyclone for 2019, has intensified into a severe tropical storm while remaining almost stationary, said the state weather bureau.
As of 4 p.m. Friday, September 20, the center of Severe Tropical Storm Nimfa was estimated at 630 kilometers east northeast of Basco, Batanes, with maximum sustained winds of up to 95 kilometers per hour (km/h) near the center and gusts of up to 115 km/h.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Nimfa is forecast to continue intensifying within the forecast period and will exit the Philippine area of responsibility Saturday morning, September 21.
Aside from Nimfa, Pagasa said the Southwest Monsoon will bring occasional light to moderate with intermittent heavy rains over Zambales, Bataan, Occidental Mindoro, and Calamian Islands.
Intermittent light to moderate rains with scattered heavy rain showers during thunderstorms will be experienced over Metro Manila, Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, Calabarzon, Marinduque, Oriental Mindoro, Camarines provinces, and the rest of Central Luzon and northern portion of Palawan.
Visayas and Mindanao will experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers brought by localized thunderstorms.
Pagasa has advised residents living in or near areas identified as landslide-prone or flood-prone to take precautionary measures, as well as to coordinate with local disaster risk reduction and management offices and to monitor for updates.
It also said that sea travel, especially for smaller seacrafts, is risky over the seaboards of northern and Central Luzon, and the eastern seaboard of southern Luzon due to potentially rough to very rough sea conditions. (SunStar Philippines)