Tropical cyclone "Isang" (international name "Omais") intensified into a severe tropical storm while approaching Miyako Islands in the Ryukyu archipelago on Sunday morning, Aug. 22, said the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).
Isang was upgraded to a severe tropical storm at around 2 a.m.
PAGASA said Isang now has maximum sustained winds of 95 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 115 kph.
Even though it has intensified, the severe tropical storm remains unlikely to affect the country's weather until it leaves the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) Sunday noon or afternoon.
The center of Isang was estimated at 560 kilometers northeast of Itbayat, Batanes as of 4 a.m.
PAGASA said the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ), a rain-inducing weather system that has circulations or low pressure systems, will be the prevailing system that may bring scattered rain showers and thunderstorms over several parts of the country in the next 24 hours.
The ITCZ will likely affect Bataan, Zambales, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Palawan, Aklan, Antique, Iloilo, Guimaras, Negros Occidental, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, , Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Cotabato, Sarangani, South Cotabato, and Sultan Kudarat.
Meanwhile, Metro Manila and the rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy conditions with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.
PAGASA warned the public against flash floods or landslides that may occur during severe thunderstorms, which are often associated with bursts of heavy rainfall, lightning, thunder, gusty winds, and sometimes hail.