Tropical Storm Dante maintains strength; Signal No. 2 in Samar island

Satellite image of TS Dante. Image from Pagasa

MANILA — Tropical storm Dante (international name: Choi-wan) maintained its strength as it veers closer to the country’s land and is now expected to make landfall between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, said the state weather service on Tuesday.

In its latest bulletin, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Dante was located 310 kilometers east of Surigao City, Surigao del Sur, as of 4 a.m., packing maximum sustained winds of up to 75 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of up to 90 kph. It was moving northwest at a speed of 20 kph.

Senior Weather Specialist Meno Mendoza said tropical cyclone wind signal no. 2 has been raised in three Samar provinces: Eastern Samar, Samar, Northern Samar

Meanwhile, the following areas were placed under tropical cyclone wind Signal No. 1:

• Masbate
• Sorsogon
• Albay
• Catanduanes
• Camarines Sur
• Camarines Norte
• the southeastern portion of Quezon (Tagkawayan, Guinayangan, Buenavista, San Narciso, San Andres)
• Leyte
• Southern Leyte
• Biliran,
• The northern portion of Cebu (Catmon, Sogod, Borbon, Tabogon, City of Bogo, Medellin, Daanbantayan, San Remigio, Tabuelan) including Bantayan and Camotes Islands
  the northern portion of Surigao del Sur (San Agustin, Marihatag, Cagwait, City of Tandag, Bayabas, Tago, Cortes, Lanuza, Carmen, Madrid, Cantilan, Carrascal, San Miguel)
• The northern portion of Agusan del Sur (Sibagat)
• The northern portion of Agusan del Norte (City of Cabadbaran, Santiago, Tubay, Jabonga, Kitcharao)
• Dinagat Islands
• Surigao del Norte

Mendoza said Dante will continue moving northwestward until Wednesday, making landfall over the area of eastern Samar.

Dante will then continue to float northward over the Philippine Sea until Saturday, and is expected to leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility by Sunday morning.

The storm will bring moderate to heavy rains over Eastern Visayas, the northern portion of Cebu including Bantayan and Camotes Islands, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Norte, Sorsogon, and Masbate Tuesday.

While light to moderate with at times heavy rains are expected to cover Catanduanes, Albay, Camarines Sur, Misamis Oriental, Agusan del Sur, Camiguin, Bukidnon, Davao Region, and Soccsksargen, and the rest of Central Visayas.

“Under these conditions and considering antecedent rain, scattered flooding (including flash floods), and rain-induced landslides are highly likely, especially in areas with high or very high susceptibility to these hazards, as identified in hazard maps,” warned Mendoza.

“Adjacent or nearby areas may also experience flooding in the absence of such rainfall occurrence due to surface runoff or swelling of river channels,” he added.

Pagasa also warned that rough seas will be experienced over the seaboards of Samar provinces and the eastern seaboard of Caraga (2.5 to 4.5 meters).

“Mariners without proper experience should immediately seek safe harbor,” said Mendoza.

Moderate to rough seas (1.2 to 3.0 meters) are also expected over the eastern seaboard of Davao Oriental and other areas under signal no. 1.

“Mariners of small seacrafts are advised to take precautionary measures when venturing out to sea. Inexperienced mariners should avoid navigating in these conditions,” the agency said.

According to Pagasa, Dante may reach severe tropical storm category in the next 48 hours or by Wednesday evening.

“However, given the increased likelihood of landfall in the next 24 hours, such an intensification may slightly be deterred,” said Pagasa.

EDV