According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), the country may have no tropical storms or only one tropical storm this February.
PAGASA weather forecaster Grace Castañeda made the above forecast on February 1.
Currently, as of February 1, PAGASA has not recorded any new low pressure forming within or outside the Philippine forecast area (PAR).
However, a low pressure system is expected to develop south of PAGASA’s PAR and TCAD forecast areas from now until February 6. This low pressure system will continue to move northwest and expand in size during the week of February 7 to 13.
If this depression strengthens into a storm and enters the Philippine PAR forecast area, it will be named Auring - the first name in PAGASA's list of tropical storm names.
According to PAGASA's monthly weather bulletin, the tropical storm is likely to approach the eastern part of Visayas and Mindanao.
There is also a chance it will curve and stay away from any part of the Philippines mainland.
The Philippines is one of the most typhoon-hit countries in the world. According to the Asian Disaster Reduction Center, the Philippines experiences an average of 20 tropical storms each year, including devastating super typhoons. Many of these storms enter the South China Sea.
