AT LEAST four areas in the country have been placed under storm warning signal as Tropical Cyclone Kalmaegi has entered the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) and was named “Tino.”
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said that Tino may make its initial landfall over Eastern Samar or Dinagat Islands late evening Monday, November 3, or early morning Tuesday, November 4.
As of 10 a.m. Sunday, November 2, the center of Tino was spotted at 955 kilometers east of Eastern Visayas, with maximum sustained winds of 85 kilometers per hour (km/h), gusts of up to 105 km/h, and central pressure of 994 hPa. It was moving westward at 30 km/h.
Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) Number 1 was hoisted over Eastern Samar, Dinagat Islands, Siargao Island, and and Bucas Grande Islands.
Pagasa said that the highest TCWS that will likely be hoisted throughout Tino’s passage is TCWS 4.
The weather bureau warned that the surge of the Northeast Monsoon coinciding with the passage of Tino will also bring strong to gale-force gusts Sunday, November 2, over Batanes, Babuyan Islands, Ilocos Norte, the northern and eastern portion of Cagayan, the eastern portion of Isabela, Aurora, Quezon, Lubang Islands, Marinduque, Calaguas Islands, and Caluya Islands.
There is also a potential risk of coastal flooding due to storm surge associated within Tino over low-lying and coastal localities in Visayas and several portions of southern Luzon and Mindanao, said Pagasa.
It added that gale warning may be raised over the eastern seaboard of Eastern Visayas and Caraga Region Sunday night or Monday morning in anticipation of very rough sea conditions.
The agency advised mariners of small seacrafts, including all types of motorbancas, not to venture out to sea under these conditions, especially if inexperienced of operating ill-equipped vessels.
Pagasa stressed that heavy rainfall, severe winds, and storm surge may still be experienced in localities outside the landfall point and the forecast confidence cone.
It said that Tino will move generally westward over the next three days and make its initial landfall over Eastern Samar or Dinagat Islands later evening of Monday, November 3, or early morning Tuesday, November 4.
Afterwards, Tino will traverse Visayas and northern Palawan before emerging over the West Philippine Sea on Wednesday morning or afternoon, November 5.
Tino is also forecast to continuously intensify and may reach typhoon category within the next 24 hours, and it will likely make its initial landfall at or near peak intensity (currently forecasted around 150-155 km/h maximum winds), said Pagasa.
“Rapid intensification within the next 48 hours is likely. The possibility of reaching super typhoon category is not ruled out based on alternate scenarios and climatological data. While the passage over country will trigger a slight weakening, Tino is expected to remain as a typhoon throughout its passage over the country,” the weather bureau added. (LRM)