Tropical Depression Basyang Forms East of Mindanao

MANILA, Philippines—A low-pressure area outside the Philippine area of responsibility developed into a tropical depression on Tuesday afternoon, February 3, and is expected to enter the monitoring zone by evening or early Wednesday morning, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.

As of 4 p.m. Tuesday, the system was located approximately 1,075 kilometers east of northeastern Mindanao, moving slowly northwest with maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour and gusts reaching up to 70 kph. Once inside the Philippine area of responsibility, it will be given the local name Basyang, marking the second tropical cyclone of 2026 following Tropical Storm Ada in January. PAGASA forecasters anticipate the depression will intensify into a tropical storm by Wednesday evening or early Thursday.

Although the cyclone itself is not yet directly influencing the country's weather, its trough has already begun bringing scattered rains and thunderstorms to several regions, including Eastern Visayas, Central Visayas, the Negros Island Region, Caraga, the Davao Region, Northern Mindanao, and the Zamboanga Peninsula. Officials warned that...