Typhoon Saudel has entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) and has been given the local name Obet, according to the state weather bureau on Monday, with the tropical cyclone expected to enhance the southwest monsoon and bring rains to several areas in the coming days.

Saudel entered PAR at 1:20 p.m. and was given the local name Obet, the country’s 15th tropical cyclone this year, according to advisories issued by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) on Monday.

As of PAGASA’s 5:00 p.m. press briefing, the typhoon was last located 1,350 kilometers east-northeast of Extreme Northern Luzon. It packs maximum sustained winds of 165 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of up to 205 kph.

PAGASA said Typhoon Saudel is not expected to directly affect the country but is likely to enhance the southwest monsoon in the coming days.

“We see that Typhoon Obet will enhance the southwest monsoon. So it is likely that we will experience heavy rains in the following days in most areas of Luzon,” Grace Castañeda-Carpio said during the press briefing in Filipino.

Amid the potential effects of the enhanced southwest monsoon, PAGASA has already issued a heavy rainfall outlook for Zambales, covering until Wednesday afternoon.

It also placed Zambales, Bataan, and Occidental Mindoro under the heavy rainfall outlook from Wednesday afternoon to Thursday afternoon.

Under the heavy rainfall warning, rainfall of between 50 and 100 millimeters is expected, posing a risk of localized flooding and landslides in high-risk areas, PAGASA said.

As for Typhoon Saudel’s forecast track, PAGASA said its stay within PAR is expected to be short-lived, as it may exit the area within 12 hours.

Meanwhile, PAGASA is also monitoring two other tropical cyclones, both of which are not expected to directly affect the country.

Tropical Depression Gaenari, formerly locally known as Neneng, was last located 595 kilometers north-northwest of Itbayat, Batanes.

The third tropical cyclone, Tropical Storm Atsani (international name), remains outside PAR and was last located 1,765 kilometers east of Central Luzon.

PAGASA said Atsani may weaken into a low-pressure area in the next few days and become part of Obet’s trough, or it may enter PAR by Wednesday. — Edg Adrian A. Eva