THE Mines and Geosciences Bureau-Davao Region (MGB-Davao) issued Regional Geohazard Threat Advisory No. 1 on Sunday, October 27, 2024, alerting the provincial government of Davao de Oro, Davao Oriental, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, and Davao Occidental about the potential geohazards of Tropical Storm (TS) Leon (International name: Kong-Rey).
The announcement came after the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said that despite its location outside the Philippine landmass, the ongoing Southwesterly Windflow brought by Typhoon Kristine (International name: Trami) will bring localized thunderstorms in most parts of Mindanao, particularly in the Davao Region.
The agency advised close monitoring of areas identified as highly to very highly susceptible to floods and landslides, especially during continuous rainfall.
Pre-emptive evacuations are recommended for safety, with relocation suggested as a long-term strategy for residents in these high-risk zones.
The state weather bureau forecasts Leon to keep moving west until early Monday morning, October 28, before turning west-northwest from Monday morning to early Tuesday morning, October 29, then on Friday morning, November 1, it might shift from northwest to north-northwest and land on the Ryukyu Islands in Okinawa, Japan.
On the other hand, Leon is expected to remain far from the Philippine mainland, while its trajectory may potentially move further westward within the cone. In terms of intensity, Leon is predicted to progressively get stronger over the course of a day and turn into a severe tropical storm by the early morning of October 28. DEF