‘Basyang’ maintains strength as it nears landfall

Tropical Storm “Basyang” maintained its strength ahead of its expected landfall between Surigao and Dinagat provinces, the state weather bureau said Tuesday morning.

Bohol, Southern Cebu, Siquijor, Negros Oriental, southern Negros Occidental, Southern Leyte, Dinagat Island, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Camiguin, Misamis Oriental, and northern section of Bukidnon were placed under Signal No. 2, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said.

Signal No. 1 remained hoisted over Palawan, including the Calamian Group of Islands, the southern section of Masbate, Aklan, Capiz, Antique, Iloilo, Guimaras, the rest of Negros Occidental, the rest of Cebu, Leyte, Biliran, Samar, and Eastern Samar.

The storm is expected to hit land between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., Pagasa said.

Basyang was last spotted 80 kilometers northeast of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur. It continued to pack maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour near the center and gusts of up to 80 kph.

It was moving northwest at 25 kph.

Scattered to widespread moderate to heavy rain will prevail in the next 24 hours over the Visayas, Caraga, Northern Mindanao, Zamboanga Peninsula and the provinces of Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental, Compostela Valley, and Lanao del Sur, Pagasa said.

Light to moderate with at times heavy rain is expected over the Bicol region, Mimaropa, and the rest of Mindanao, Pagasa added.

The weather bureau warned of dangerous sea travel over the seaboards of Northern Luzon and the Visayas, the eastern seaboards of Central Luzon, and the eastern and southern seaboards of Southern Luzon. /cbb