The low-pressure area (LPA) being monitored outside the Philippine area of responsibility has intensified into a tropical depression, the state weather bureau said on Saturday.
In its latest update released around 4 p.m., the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said the weather system was observed gaining strength at 2 p.m.
It was last located 2,285 kilometers east-northeast of extreme Northern Luzon.
The newly formed tropical depression was packing a maximum sustained wind speed of 55 kilometers per hour (kph) and gusts of 70 kph, moving north-northwestward at 10 kph.
Meanwhile, Pagasa is still monitoring Severe Tropical Storm Paolo (international name: Matmo), which was last spotted about 550 kilometers west of Sinait, Ilocos Sur, outside the PAR.
It was packing a maximum sustained wind speed of 110 kph near the center and gusts of up to 130 kph.
The severe tropical storm is moving west-northwestward at 25 kph, leading farther to the Philippine landmass. /mr