DESPITE the absence of a gale warning in Central Visayas, owners of small vessels are warned against going out to the sea as moderate to strong winds are expected in the next five days.

Al Quiblat, Visayas bureau chief of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), said the “amihan,” or the northeast monsoon, continues to prevail across the country, bringing light rains to Luzon and Visayas.

“Our weather prediction for the next five days is partly cloudy to cloudy with light rains particularly at night until early morning,” Quiblat told SunStar Cebu on Sunday, February 23, 2020.

Quiblat, though, said there is a 20 to 30 percent chance of rain in the region with winds of up to 50 kilometers per hour.

The state weather bureau has already hoisted a gale warning in the neighboring regions of Eastern and Northern Samar.

“It’s still dangerous for fishermen to go out to the sea. Central Cebu and Western Visayas are still experiencing moderate to strong winds. It’s risky to go out into the open sea because we’re expecting maximum waves of up to 3.1 meters high,” Quiblat said in Cebuano. (WBS)