Storm Lawin dumps heavy rains in E. Visayas

MANILA—Public storm warnings went up in six provinces yesterday  as Tropical Storm Lawin slowed and changed its course, affecting large parts of eastern Visayas.

Lawin is seen to bring heavy to intense rains, from 10 to 25 mm per hour, across an area within 300 km of its center.

Signal No. 2 was up over Eastern Samar, while Signal No. 1 was raised in Sorsogon, Northern Samar, Western Samar, Leyte and Southern Leyte, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said.

As of 11 a.m. Saturday, the eye of Lawin was located 395 kilometers east of Borongan in Eastern Samar, it said.

The storm was packing  95 kph  to 120 kph winds and was  forecast to move north-northwest “slowly.”

Pagasa said Lawin had slowed and changed direction. On Friday afternoon, it was moving  west-southwest because of its interaction with the high pressure area in the north.

Lawin is expected to be 330 kilometers east of Borongan, Eastern Samar by  this morning.

By Monday morning, it will be 290 km northeast of Borongan, and 290 km northeast of Virac, Catanduanes by Tuesday morning, Pagasa said.

Small  seacraft were advised not to venture out to sea off the eastern coasts of Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao due to big waves caused by  strong to gale-force winds.

In its weather outlook, Pagasa said Eastern Samar will experience stormy weather with rough to very rough seas, while the rest of Eastern Visayas will have rains and gusty winds.

“Palawan, the rest of Visayas, the Zamboanga peninsula, Northern Mindanao and the Caraga region will have cloudy skies with occasional moderate to heavy rains,” it said.  /INQUIRER