‘Ofel’ triggers heavy rains in Visayas, Mindanao

Tropical Depression “Ofel” strengthened into a storm and made landfall on Siargao Wednesday, lashing the teardrop-shaped island facing the Pacific Ocean and prompting the weather bureau to raise storm signals in more than two dozen areas across the country.

Pagasa expects Ofel to be in the vicinity of Roxas City in Capiz by Thursday morning.

By Friday morning, the storm will have moved to within 180 km west of Nasugbu, Batangas, and its effects will be felt in Metro Manila, Pagasa said.

But Metro Manila will experience rains Thursday as an effect of the approaching storm, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).

It will continue moving west-northwest and should be 640 km west of Manila, outside the Philippine area of responsibility by Saturday morning.

Ofel’s heavy rain and strong winds shut down schools and set off disaster-response preparations in areas on its path and grounded sea transport in Eastern Visayas, Bicol, Central and Western Visayas, stranding thousands of travelers.

Stormy weather caused by Ofel also forced the cancellation of flights between Manila and some cities in the Visayas and Mindanao.

The storm hovered directly over Siargao, in Surigao del Norte, at 10 a.m. then moved west-northwest toward the Visayas, according to Pagasa.

The weather bureau raised storm signals in 27 provinces in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao as Ofel moved slowly over Eastern Visayas on its way to the center of the country.

“Storms that make landfall will usually weaken over a land mass and sometimes they dissipate, but because the Visayas is a group of islands, we don’t expect that Ofel will decrease its strength,” said Pagasa forecaster Jori Loiz.

High pressure area

Loiz added that Ofel appeared to be interacting with a high pressure area in the West Philippine Sea. “We will have to observe if it will change direction,” he said.

Ofel has a diameter of 500 kilometers. It is generating moderate to intense rain, at

5 mm to 20 mm per hour within that range, Pagasa said.

The bureau advised fishermen and operators of small seacraft in southern Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao not to venture out to sea due to the combined effect of Ofel and the northeast monsoon.

Sailings, flights stopped

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said more than 4,000 travelers to Eastern Visayas and Northern Mindanao were stranded Wednesday after the Coast Guard grounded all seagoing vessels.

As of noon Wednesday, the NDRRMC said 1,346 travelers were stranded at Coast Guard Pier 2 in Manila.

Vessels were also grounded at ports in Southern Leyte, Cebu, Bohol, Dumaguete, Cagayan de Oro, Surigao, and Butuan.

More than 100 vessels were grounded in various ports in the Visayas Wednesday, stranding more than 4,500 travelers.

Civil defense officials had not received reports of flooding as of Wednesday afternoon.

The Coast Guard grounded 173 rolling-cargo ferries, 57 other vessels and 28 motorboats.

Cmdr. Armand Balilo, Coast Guard spokesperson, said all Coast Guard units in areas on Ofel’s path had been placed on heightened alert to prevent vessels’ departures as Ofel crossed the country.

Albay Gov. Joey Salceda said the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council had directed the Coast Guard to stop fishermen from going to sea until the storm had blown out of the country.

Stormy weather forced Cebu Pacific Air and Air Philippines to cancel eight flights to the Visayas and Mindanao.

Ofel dumped heavy rains in Surigao del Norte, closing down schools and seaports. With reports from Nikko Dizon, Jerome Aning and Tina Santos in Manila; Mar S. Arguelles, Inquirer Southern Luzon; Jhunnex Napallacan, Jani Arnaiz, Joey Gabieta, Nestor Burgos Jr. and Carlos Gomez, Inquirer Visayas; and Danilo V. Adorador III, Franklin A. Caliguid, Cai Panlilio and Frinston Lim, Inquirer Mindanao