Severe tropical storm "Siony" (international name "Atsani") is on its way out of the country but another potential tropical cyclone east of Mindanao is poised to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility tonight.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration said the low-pressure area outside PAR was spotted 1,195 kilometers east of Mindanao as of 11 a.m. today.
PAGASA weather specialist Ana Clauren said the LPA could enter the country this afternoon or tonight and reach Eastern Visayas Saturday.
The weather disturbance is expected to develop into a tropical depression within the next 48 hours and will be given the local name "Tonyo," the 20th tropical cyclone in the PAR this year and the second for November following Siony.
Historical records showed that the Philippines has an average of 20 tropical cyclones annually, but more rains are expected in the coming months according to PAGASA due to the onset of La Niña.
Siony is expected to leave PAR tonight. PAGASA said it will maintain its strength in the next 12 hours and significantly weaken due to "increasingly unfavorable conditions" associated with a surge of the northeasterlies over the West Philippine Sea.
It will weaken further to an LPA Sunday afternoon, it added.
Siony was spotted 50 kilometers northwest of Itbayat, Batanes, with maximum sustained winds of 95 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gusts of up to 115 kph as of 11 a.m. today.
The severe tropical storm continues to move west at 20 kph and will be 310 kilometers west-northwest of Itbayat outside PAR Saturday morning.
The State weather bureau has lifted tropical cyclone wind signals in Cagayan, Apayao, and Ilocos Norte. However, signal No. 2 remains hoisted over Batanes while signal No. 1 is over Babuyan Island.