ALTHOUGH typhoon Rolly won’t directly hit Cebu and other parts of the Visayas, local weather officials said its trough or extension can still bring light rains and thunderstorms and rough to moderate sea conditions in the next few days.
Following the forecast of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) in Cebu, the Philippine Coast Guard Station Central Cebu temporarily suspended sea trips bound for areas placed under a tropical cyclone warning signal (TCWS) on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020.
Al Quiblat, Pagasa Cebu’s weather bureau chief, expects Rolly to bring moderate to rough sea conditions, which can pose a danger to small vessels.
He said a gale warning could be issued soon in northern Cebu.
Jhomer Eclarino, Pagasa-Mactan weather specialist, said Metro Cebu can expect a wind speed of 30 to 50 kilometers per hour (kph) and wave heights of up to 3.1 meters.
“We can still experience rainfall most especially tomorrow (Sunday) afternoon. There are also occasional heavy rains, which may cause flashfloods or landslides based on our latest forecast,” he said.
Quiblat said the typhoon is expected to make landfall in Catanduanes on Sunday morning, Nov. 1.
He said about three more tropical cyclones are expected to enter the country before the year ends.
Meanwhile, Pagasa warned residents of Bicol Region against “destructive typhoon-force winds,” as it placed Catanduanes and the northeastern portions of Camarines Sur and Albay under TCWS 3 due to typhoon Rolly.
Pagasa said that based on the intensity forecast, the highest possible wind signal to be raised will be TCWS 4 (for very destructive typhoon-force winds).
Based on the forecast track, the center of Rolly is expected to pass over Catanduanes-mainland Camarines Provinces area Sunday morning and over mainland Quezon Sunday afternoon.
Violent winds and intense rainfall associated with the inner rainband-eyewall region will be experienced over Catanduanes and Camarines Provinces Sunday early morning through afternoon and over Quezon and the southern portion of Aurora Sunday afternoon through evening.
After crossing the Southern Luzon-Metro Manila area, the center of Rolly is forecast to exit the mainland Luzon landmass on Monday morning, Nov. 2.
The weather bureau said Rolly is likely to remain a typhoon category (185-205 kph) by the time it makes landfall.
During its traverse over Luzon, it is forecast to weaken considerably and emerge as a severe tropical storm or minimal typhoon over the West Philippine Sea.
Meanwhile, tropical depression “Atsani” was located at 1,655 kilometers east of Southern Luzon as of 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 31. It was packing maximum winds of 55 kph near the center and gusts of up to 70 kph.
Pagasa said Atsani is forecast to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility Sunday afternoon, but it remains less likely to affect any portion of the country over the next two to three days. (WBS, LMY / SunStar Philippines)