MANILA, Philippines – Dindo strengthened from a tropical depression into a tropical storm ahead of its expected exit from the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), the country’s weather bureau said early Monday, August 19.

Its international name is Jongdari, a name contributed by North Korea which means skylark.

Dindo’s maximum sustained winds increased from 55 kilometers per hour to 65 km/h, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

The tropical storm’s gustiness is now up to 80 km/h from the previous 70 km/h.

Dindo was already 640 kilometers northeast of Itbayat, Batanes, as of 4 am on Monday. It decelerated, moving northeast at only 10 km/h from 20 km/h.

Though the tropical storm slowed down, it is still projected to leave PAR on Monday morning.

Due to Dindo’s distance from land and its movement away from the country, it is not bringing rain and there are no tropical cyclone wind signals in effect.

But Dindo and the southwest monsoon or habagat are causing moderate seas — with waves 1 to 2 meters high — in extreme Northern Luzon. PAGASA advised small vessels to take precautionary measures.

Dindo, which developed on Sunday evening, August 18, is the Philippines’ fourth tropical cyclone for 2024 and the first for August. PAGASA earlier estimated there may be two or three tropical cyclones during the month.

Once outside PAR, Dindo is expected to move over the East China Sea toward the Korean Peninsula or the coast of eastern China.

On Monday, the southwest monsoon will affect only extreme Northern Luzon, particularly Batanes and Babuyan Islands, which will have scattered rain and thunderstorms.

The rest of the country will have generally fair weather, with just isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.