The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) on Friday afternoon reported that Tropical Depression “Wilma” maintained its strength as it continued to move slowly toward Eastern Visayas.
Wilma’s center was last estimated at 180 kilometers east of Borongan City, Eastern Samar.
According to PAGASA’s 5 p.m. tropical cyclone bulletin, it was moving westward slowly with maximum sustained winds of 45 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 55 kph.
The tropical depression is forecast to move west-southwestward until Saturday before turning generally westward for the remaining forecast period.
Its center may make its initial landfall over Eastern Visayas between late Friday evening and Saturday morning.
Meanwhile, the state weather bureau announced that a short-lived La Niña is present in the tropical Pacific.
“Recent oceanic and atmospheric conditions indicate that La Niña has developed in the tropical Pacific. Since September 2025, the sea surface temperatures in the central and equatorial Pacific started to decrease and further declined in November, reaching a weak La Niña threshold,” PAGASA said in an advisory.
The La Niña is likely to persist until the first quarter of 2026, from December this year to February next year.
“La Niña is usually associated with above-normal rainfall conditions across most areas of the country during the last quarter of the year and early months of the following year,” PAGASA said.
“With this development, higher chances of above-normal rainfall in the December 2025 to February 2026 season are expected, which may cause floods, flashfloods, and rain-induced landslides. Furthermore, an increased chance of tropical cyclone activity within the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) during the period is likely,” it concluded.
