Usman to make landfall over Eastern Samar despite slow progress

Tropical Depression Usman was making its way, albeit slowly, towards the Eastern Visayas, where it was expected to make landfall over Eastern Samar early Saturday morning.

According to PAGASA's Friday night bulletin, Usman was 215 kilometers east of Guiuan, Eastern Samar, with 55 kilometer per hour winds and gusts of up to 65 kph.

Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal 1 was thus raised over:

• northern Palawan, including the Calamian and Cuyo Islands;
• southern Quezon;
• Marinduque;
• Romblon;
• Catanduanes;
• Camarines Norte;
• Camarines Sur;
• Albay;
• Sorsogon;
• Masbate including Ticao and Burias Islands;
• southern Occidental Mindoro;
• southern Oriental Mindoro; 
• Eastern Samar;
• Northern Samar;
• Samar;
• Biliran;
• Leyte;
• Southern Leyte;
• northern Cebu, including the Camotes Islands;
• Aklan;
• Capiz;
• Iloilo;
• Guimaras;
• Antique,
• northern Negros Occidental; and 
• the Dinagat Islands.

Throughout Friday night, moderate to heavy rain could be expected over the Bicol Region, Eastern Visayas, and Quezon; while light to moderate with occasional heavy rain would be experienced over Metro Manila, the Mimaropa Region, Aurora, and the rest of the Calabarzon Region and the Visayas.

By Saturday, moderate to heavy rain would be experienced over Metro Manila, the Calabarzon Region, the Mimaropa Region, the Bicol Region, and Aurora. Light to moderate with at times heavy rain could also be expected over the entire Visayas.

PAGASA warned that flooding and landslides were a danger in all these areas, while fisherfolk and small seacraft were warned against sailing over the seaboards of areas under Signal No. 1, the seaboards of northern Luzon, the eastern seaboards of Central and southern Luzon, and the eastern seaboards of the Surigao provinces.

Despite Usman's sluggish progress, the tropical depression was expected to keep moving westwards, and would likely be:

• 35 kms northeast of Cuyo, Palawan by Saturday evening,
• 220 kms southeast of Pagasa Island, Palawan by Sunday evening, and
• 320 kms southwest of Palawan's Pagasa Island, and outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility, by Monday evening.

— DVM, GMA News