TEN areas in the Bicol and Eastern Visayas regions were placed under Signal No. 1 yesterday, three days before the possible landfall of tropical storm “Paeng.”
Paeng intensified from a tropical depression to a storm at around 8 a.m. yesterday. It is forecast to further intensify into a severe tropical storm within 24 hours, and into a typhoon on Saturday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in a bulletin issued at 5 p.m. yesterday.
Paeng is the country’s 16th tropical cyclone this year and the fourth for this month.
As of 4 p.m. yesterday, Paeng was some 510 km east of Borongan City in Eastern Samar. It was moving southwestward slowly, packing maximum sustained winds of 65 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 80 kph.
Placed by PAGASA under Signal No 1 were Catanduanes, Albay, Sorsogon, Masbate including Ticao Island and Burias Island, Eastern Samar, Northern Samar, Samar, and Biliran provinces, and the northern portion of Leyte and eastern portion of Camarines Sur.
“Per latest track and intensity forecast, the highest wind signal that will likely be hoisted is wind signal No. 4, in anticipation of typhoon-force conditions associated with Paeng,” said PAGASA.
It also said Paeng will move “southwestward or west southwestward within six hours before turning generally west northwestward over the Philippine Sea through Sunday while moving towards central or southern portion of Luzon.”
It said Paeng may pass close to Catanduanes on Saturday and “a landfall scenario is possible on Sunday in the eastern coast of Aurora or Quezon.”
“Considering the southward shift in the forecast track, a possible landfall in the eastern portion of Bicol Region is not ruled out at this time,” PAGASA also said.
PAGASA said light to moderate with at times heavy rains are possible in Mimaropa, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Caraga, Quezon, Cagayan, Isabela, Apayao, Aurora and the rest of Visayas during the same period.
“Under these conditions, flooding and rain-induced landslides are expected, especially in areas that are highly or very highly susceptible to these hazard as identified in hazard maps and in localities with significant antecedent rainfall,” PAGASA said.
