Signal No. 1 up over 16 areas as Kabayan moves near Mindanao landmass

Sixteen areas in Visayas and Mindanao were placed under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 1 as Tropical Depression Kabayan continues to move westward over the sea east of Mindanao, PAGASA said Sunday.

In its 8 a.m. bulletin, the state weather bureau said TCWS No.1 was hoisted over the following areas:

1. the southern portion of Samar (Basey, Santa Rita, Marabut, Talalora, Villareal, Pinabacdao);
2. the southern portion of Eastern Samar (Maydolong, City of Borongan, Quinapondan, Guiuan, Lawaan, Balangiga, Llorente, Giporlos, Salcedo, Balangkayan, General Macarthur, Hernani, Mercedes);
3. Leyte;
4. Southern Leyte;
5. Bohol;
6. Camotes Islands;
7. Dinagat Islands;
8. Surigao del Norte;
9. Surigao del Sur;
10. Agusan del Norte;
11. Agusan del Sur;
12. the northern portion of Davao Oriental (Cateel, Boston, Baganga);
13. the northern portion of Davao de Oro (Monkayo, Laak);
14. Misamis Oriental;
15. Camiguin; and
16. the northern portion of Bukidnon (Impasug-Ong, Malitbog, Manolo Fortich, Sumilao, Libona, Baungon, Cabanglasan, City of Malaybalay).

Under TCWS No.1, winds with speeds ranging 39 to 61 km/h may prevail within the next 36 hours. Wind impacts may also result in minimal to minor threat to life and property.

PAGASA said the center of the eye of Kabayan was last spotted 460 km east of Davao City, Davao del Sur.

It has maximum sustained winds of 55 km/h near the center and gustiness of up to 70 km/h.

Kabayan was also moving westward at 15 km/h.

Winds, coastal waters

More provinces in the Visayas and Mindanao may be placed under Wind Signal No. 1 in the next bulletin, said the state weather bureau.

The surge of the Northeast Monsoon will also bring also gusty conditions for the next two days over the following areas not under any wind signal, especially in coastal and upland/mountainous areas exposed to winds: Batanes, Babuyan Islands, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Rizal, Quezon, Lubang Island, Marinduque, Cuyo Islands, Bicol Region, Visayas, the northern and eastern portion of mainland Cagayan, the eastern portions of Isabela and Nueva Ecija, and portions of Cordillera Administrative Region, Zambales, Pampanga, Cavite, Mindoro Provinces.

Further, a gale warning is in effect for the coastal waters along the seaboard of Northern Luzon and the eastern seaboards of Visayas and Mindanao due to the Northeast Monsoon surge and Kabayan.

Mariners of small seacraft were advised to remain in port or seek safe harbor as sea travel may be risky for them.

Track, intensity

Kabayan is forecast to follow a generally west northwestward path across the Philippine archipelago over the next two days and is likely to maintain its strength until its initial landfall over Mindanao.

PAGASA said the possibility of it reaching a tropical storm category pre-landfall is not ruled out.

Kabayan is likely to make landfall along the coast of Surigao del Sur or Davao Oriental on Sunday night or early morning on Monday.

It may then cross the terrain of Mindanao and emerge over Bohol Sea or Sulu Sea on Monday noon or afternoon.

“Due to frictional effects associated with landfall, KABAYAN is forecast to weaken over land and the possibility of being downgraded into a low pressure area while over land or after emerging over the sea is not ruled out (although in such a case, re-development may still occur over the Sulu Sea),” PAGASA added.

Kabayan will also move across the Sulu Sea south of Cuyo Islands for the remainder of Monday and into early morning of Tuesday.

The tropical cyclone is forecast to make another landfall over central or southern Palawan as a tropical depression by Tuesday morning, then emerge over the Philippine Sea by noon or early afternoon of the same day.

Afterwards, Kabayan may pass near or over Kalayaan Islands in the West Philippine Sea.

Rainfall

PAGASA said heavy rainfall is expected in the following areas on Sunday:

• 100 to 200 mm: Surigao del Sur
• 50 to 100 mm: Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte, Agusan del Norte, the eastern portion of Agusan del Sur, and the northern portions of Davao Oriental and Davao de Oro

Rainfall may also be experienced in these areas on Monday:

• 100 to 200 mm: Surigao del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Dinagat Islands, and Southern Leyte
• 50 to 100 mm: The southern portions of Eastern Samar and Samar, the eastern and southern portions of Leyte, Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental, Siquijor, Camiguin, Misamis Oriental, the northern portion of Bukidnon, Agusan del Sur, and Agusan del Norte.

The shear line coinciding with the passage of Kabayan may also bring heavy rainfall over the eastern portion of Southern Luzon on Sunday and over the eastern portion of Luzon on Monday.

PAGASA warned that flooding and rain-induced landslides are likely to occur particularly in areas that are highly or very highly susceptible to these hazards as identified in hazard maps, and in localities that experienced considerable amounts of rainfall for the past several days.

The Surigao del Sur Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) said Sunday it has raised the “blue alert” status as Kabayan continues to affect certain areas in Mindanao and Visayas. —KG, GMA Integrated News