TROPICAL Storm Dante (Choi-wan) slightly weakened as it moved north northwest toward Easter Samar, where it was expected to make landfall either Tuesday night (June 1) or early Wednesday morning (June 2).
As of 4 p.m. Tuesday, June 1, the center of Dante was located at 85 kilometers east northeast of Guiuan, Eastern Samar, or 110 kilometers east southeast of Borongan City, Eastern Samar, said the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).
It said Dante was packing maximum winds of 65 kilometers per hour (km/h) near the center, gusts of up to 80 km/h, and central pressure of 998 hPa. It was moving north northwestward at 25 km/h.
Pagasa said the gale-force winds brought by Dante may extend outward up to 100 kilometers from the storm’s center.
Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) Number 2 remained hoisted over Catanduanes, Camarines Sur, southern portion of Camarines Norte (San Lorenzo Ruiz, San Vicente, Talisay, Daet, Basud, Mercedes), Masbate including Ticao and Burias Island, Albay and Sorsogon in Luzon; and Eastern Samar, Samar, Northern Samar, Biliran, and the northeastern portion of Leyte (Carigara, Barugo, San Miguel, Babatngon, Tacloban City, Alangalang, Tunga, Santa Fe, Palo) in the Visayas.
TCWS Number 1 was raised over the following areas:
LUZON
Rizal, Laguna, the southeastern portion of Batangas (Lobo, San Juan, Rosario, Taysan, City of Tanauan, Santo Tomas, Malvar, Lipa City, Padre Garcia, Ibaan, Batangas City, Balete, Mataasnakahoy, San Jose), Quezon including Polillo Islands, the rest of Camarines Norte, Marinduque, and Romblon
VISAYAS
The northeastern portion of Aklan (Lezo, Numancia, Banga, Kalibo, New Washington, Balete, Batan, Altavas, Makato, Tangalan), the northeastern portion of Capiz (Mambusao, Sapi-An, Ivisan, Roxas City, Panitan, Sigma, Panay, Pontevedra, President Roxas, Pilar, Ma-Ayon, Dao, Cuartero), the northeastern portion of Iloilo (Sara, San Dionisio, Batad, Estancia, Balasan, Carles, Lemery, Ajuy, Concepcion), the northeastern portion of Negros Occidental (Manapla, Cadiz City, Sagay City, City of Escalante, Toboso, City of Victorias, Calatrava), the northern portion of Cebu (Balamban, Asturias, Tuburan, Tabuelan, Sogod, San Remigio, City of Bogo, Borbon, Tabogon, Bantayan Islands, Daanbantayan, Medellin, Catmon, Danao City, Carmen, Compostela, Cebu City, Liloan, Consolacion, Mandaue City, Lapu-Lapu City, Cordova), the northeastern potion of Bohol (Getafe, Talibon, Trinidad, Bien Unido, Ubay, San Miguel, Alicia, Buenavista, Mabini, Candijay, Anda, Inabanga, Guindulman, Dagohoy, Pilar, Danao, Pres. Carlos P. Garcia), the rest of Leyte and Southern Leyte
MINDANAO
Surigao del Norte including Siargao and Bucas Grande Islands, Dinagat Island, the northern portion of Agusan del Norte (Kitcharao, Jabonga, Santiago, Tubay, City of Cabadbaran, Magallanes, Remedios T. Romualdez, Butuan City), the northern portion of Agusan del Sur (Sibagat), and the northern portion of Surigao del Sur (San Miguel, Tago, City of Tandag, Cortes, Lanuza, Carmen, Madrid, Cantilan, Carrascal)
Pagasa has lifted TCWS 1 in other areas in the country.
The weather bureau said Dante will continue to move generally northwestward until Wednesday evening, June 2.
The center of the tropical storm was forecast to make its initial landfall over Eastern Samar between Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning and Pagasa said Dante is more likely to remain as a tropical storm category prior to landfall.
Dante may also weaken into a tropical depression on Thursday, June 3, and to low pressure area on June 5, Pagasa said.
It also said that the tropical storm will bring moderate to heavy with at times intense rains over Surigao del Norte, Dinagat Islands, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Biliran, Masbate, and Romblon, and moderate to heavy rains over Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Norte, Camiguin, Samar, Bohol, the northern portion of Cebu including Bantayan and Camotes Islands, Capiz, Iloilo, Sorsogon, Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Marinduque, and the southern portion of Quezon.
Light to moderate with at times heavy rains are also likely over Misamis Oriental, Agusan del Sur, Bukidnon, Catanduanes, and the rest of Visayas.
“Under these conditions and considering antecedent rainfall, scattered flooding (including flash floods) and rain-induced landslides are highly likely, especially in areas with high or very high susceptibility to these hazards as identified in hazard maps. Adjacent or nearby areas may also experience flooding in the absence of such rainfall occurrence due to surface runoff or swelling of river channels,” said Pagasa.
The storm will also bring strong winds to gale-force winds over the areas where TCWS 2 is hoisted, and strong winds (strong breeze to near gale), which may cause generally very light damage to structures and vegetation, in areas where TCWS 1 is in effect.
“In the next 24 hours, rough to very rough seas will be experienced over the seaboards of areas where TCWS 2 is in effect, and the eastern seaboard of Caraga,” Pagasa said.
Moderate to rough seas are also expected over the eastern seaboard of Davao Oriental and the remaining seaboards of areas where TCWS 1 is in effect, it added. (LMY)