12 areas under Signal No. 2 as Dante approaches Oriental Mindoro

Twelve areas were placed under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 2 on Wednesday as Tropical Storm Dante moved northwestward and approached the eastern coast of Oriental Mindoro.

In its 11 a.m. bulletin, PAGASA said the following areas were under TCWS No. 2, with gale-force winds prevailing or expected within 24 hours:

• Romblon
• Marinduque
• the northern and central portion of Oriental Mindoro (Roxas, Bongabong, San Teodoro, Puerto Galera, Baco, City of Calapan, Naujan, Victoria, Socorro, Pola, Pinamalayan, Gloria, Bansud)
• the northern and central portion of Occidental Mindoro (Sablayan, Santa Cruz, Paluan, Mamburao, Abra de Ilog, Lubang Islands)
• Batangas
• Cavite
• Bataan
• the southwestern portion of Bulacan (Calumpit, Bulacan, City of Malolos, Paombong, Hagonoy)
• the western portion of Pampanga (Masantol, Macabebe, Sasmuan, Lubao, Floridablanca, Porac, Guagua, Santa Rita, Angeles City, Mabalacat City, Minalin, Bacolor)
• Zambales
• the western portion of Tarlac (Bamban, Capas, San Jose, Mayantoc, Camiling, Santa Ignacia, San Clemente)
• the western portion of Pangasinan (Bolinao, Anda, Bani, Agno, Burgos, Infanta, Dasol, City of Alaminos, Mabini, Sual, Labrador, Bugallon, Aguilar, Mangatarem, Bayambang, Urbiztondo, Basista, Malasiqui, San Carlos City, Santa Barbara, Mangaldan, Dagupan City, Calasiao, Binmaley, Lingayen)

The following areas, meanwhile, were placed under TCWS No. 1, with strong winds prevailing or expected within 36 hours:

• the northern portion of Palawan (Calamian Islands, Cuyo Islands)
• the rest of Oriental Mindoro
• the rest of Occidental Mindoro
• the western portion of Quezon (Lucena City, City of Tayabas, Pagbilao, Lucban, Sariaya, Candelaria, Dolores, Tiaong, San Antonio, Padre Burgos)
• the western and central portion of Laguna (Luisiana, Pagsanjan, Santa Cruz, Majayjay, Magdalena, Liliw, Nagcarlan, Pila, Victoria, Rizal, San Pablo City, Calauan, Bay, Alaminos, Los Baños, City of Calamba, Cabuyao City, City of Santa Rosa, City of Biñan, City of San Pedro)
• Metro Manila
• Rizal
• Bulacan
• the rest of Pampanga
• the rest of Tarlac
• the western portion of Nueva Ecija (Cabiao, San Antonio, City of Gapan, San Isidro, San Leonardo, Jaen, Zaragoza, Licab, Guimba, Cuyapo, Nampicuan, Talugtug, Quezon, Aliaga, Santa Rosa)
• the rest of Pangasinan
• the southern portion of Benguet(Itogon, Tuba, Sablan, Baguio City, La Trinidad, Kapangan, Tublay)
• La Union
• Aklan
• Capiz
• the northern portion of Antique (Valderrama, Bugasong, Laua-An, Barbaza, Tibiao, Culasi, Sebaste, Pandan, Libertad, Caluya)
• and the northwestern portion of Iloilo (Lambunao, Calinog, Bingawan)

Five landfalls

As of 10 a.m., the center of Tropical Storm Dante was estimated based on all available data over the northwestern coastal waters of Romblon, Romblon or 115 km southeast of Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro (12.8°N, 122.0°E).

It has maximum sustained winds of 65 km/h near the center, gustiness up to 90km/h, and central pressure of 996 hPa, and is moving northwest at 25 km/h.

According to PAGASA, Dante made its fourth landfall over Romblon, Romblon at 8 a.m., and its fifth landfall over San Agustin, Romblon at 8:50 a.m.

Based on the track and intensity outlook, Dante will continue moving generally northwestward and may pass near or in the vicinity of Oriental Mindoro or the southwestern portion of Batangas before turning north-northwestward, making another  landfall over Bataan on Wednesday night.

Dante will then traverse the Zambales and Pangasinan area and emerge over the West Philippine Sea on Thursday morning. It is seen to maintain its strength until it makes landfall over mainland Luzon.

The state weather bureau said further land interaction with the rugged terrain of mainland Luzon will weaken Dante into a tropical depression on Thursday.  -- KBK, GMA News