Pagasa: ’Lawin’ may miss Cebu

IF typhoon Lawin maintains its speed, Central Visayas may be spared despite the pronouncement by the state weather bureau Pagasa that it has intensified.

“Cebu and Central Visayas will mostly experience the same kind of cloudiness in the next two days with rains in the afternoon,” weather analyst Boy Artiaga of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) told Cebu Daily News.

As Lawin nears the region, Artiaga said there’s a bigger chance of rains even in mornings.

From the current “glassy” type of clouds, a “dark gray” cloud will develop and may dump more rains.

Seas might get rough from moderate when the typhoon approaches Central Visayas, he said.

The public is also warned of possible landslides and flash floods.

Compared to the normal typhoon movement of 19 kilometers per hour (kph), typhoon Lawin is “hinay kaayo ang iyang movement (very slow in movement) at 7 kph,” he added.

But the Mactan Pagasa analyst said the weather disturbance’s strength has increased from 120 to 150 kph.

Artiaga said the end of September also marks the end of the southwest monsoon or habagat and the beginning of the northeast monsoon or amihan.

“The habagat peak was in July, when Talisay City experienced tall and angry waves damaging some homes,” he told Cebu Daily News.

However, he warned that Cebu will still be experiencing bad weather especially when typhoon Lawin pulls along the weak southwest monsoon. Correspondent Jessa Chrisna Marie J. Agua