Jun 092013
 
Tropical Storm Dante (international code name Yagi) continued to move fruther away from the country Monday and may exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility as early as Tuesday morning, state weather forecasters said.

Citing PAGASA’s models, PAGASA forecaster Elvie Enriquez said Tropical Storm Dante is now heading for Okinawa in Japan.

She also said the conditions were “ripe” for them to declare the start of the rainy season within this week. The southwest winds were now affecting the country, but they are waiting for “sustained” rain to formally declare the start of the rainy season.

As of 4 a.m. Monday, Tropical Storm Dante was estimated at 1,030 km northeast of Basco, Batanes, with maximum sustained winds of 75 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 90 kph.

It is forecast to move north-northeast at 15 kph, PAGASA said in its 5 a.m. bulletin.

Monday outlook

For Monday, PAGASA said Mimaropa, Bicol and western Visayas will experience “cloudy skies with light to moderate rain showers and thunderstorms.”

Metro Manila and the rest of the country will be “partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms mostly in the afternoon or evening,” it added.

PAGASA also said moderate to strong winds from the southwest to west will prevail over extreme northern Luzon and its coastal waters will be moderate to rough.

Elsewhere, winds will be moderate to occasionally strong coming from the southwest with moderate to occasionally rough seas. — DVM, GMA News

Jun 072013
 
Coast Guard urges residents in coastal areas to take precautions vs. floods

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Friday advised residents in coastal areas, especially in Visayas and Mindanao, to take precautions against floods and landslides that may be caused by a potential cyclone. Coast Guard spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Armand Balilo said residents should keep alert for heavy rain and be ready to evacuate if needed, radio dzBB’s Carlo Mateo reported. Balilo also advised residents to keep handy in the house various emergency items such as food, water and flashlights as well as batteries. He said an average of 21 to 23 cyclones enter the Philippine area of responsibility every year. Earlier on Friday, PAGASA said flash floods and landslides may threaten parts of Visayas and Mindanao as a potential cyclone, a low-pressure area, moved close to Eastern Samar. PAGASA forecaster Elvie Enriquez said the LPA was near Samar and had a “50-50 chance” of intensifying into a cyclone. If the LPA intensifies into a cyclone while inside the Philippine area of responsibility, it will be locally codenamed Dante. – VVP, GMA News