AP聽 file聽 photo
Another typhoon may enter the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) by the middle of next week, but the state weather bureau said it does not appear to be headed for land.
The tropical depression, which was spotted Friday morning over the Pacific Ocean about 2,500 kilometers away from the Philippines, is expected to intensify while at sea.
The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said it was too early to say whether the cyclone will become a supertyphoon with maximum sustained winds of at least 220 kilometers per hour.
鈥淲hile at sea, it will possibly intensify but it is still too far, there are still many scenarios,鈥� Pagasa forecaster Benison Estareja said.
鈥淚t is possible it will enter (the PAR) but there is a small chance it will make landfall,鈥� he added.
He said the cyclone, which was moving west northwest, may possibly reach the country on Wednesday or Thursday.
Its track indicated it will pass through the country鈥檚 northern boundaries, like Typhoon 鈥淗anna鈥� (international name 鈥淪oudelor鈥�) last week.
The new cyclone will be given the international name 鈥淕oni鈥� (Korean for swan) once it intensifies into a storm.
It will be locally named 鈥淚neng,鈥� the ninth cyclone to hit the country this year, once it is within the PAR.
Estareja said Pagasa was also monitoring a second potential cyclone from a low pressure area in the Pacific.
He said a second tropical depression might be formed but was not likely headed toward the Philippines.
Typhoon Hanna became the world鈥檚 strongest typhoon so far this year, but it spared the country from a direct hit since it did not make landfall.
It weakened slightly when it entered the PAR on Aug. 5. It battered the country鈥檚 northern islands and intensified monsoon rains over most of the country until it left on Aug. 8.