By Marisol Bo-oc | 10:00 AM December 17, 2023
The province of Bohol and other areas in Visayas and Mindanao were placed under storm signal no. 1 due to “Kabayan.”
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said the low pressure area (LPA) developed into a tropical depression on Sunday morning, Dec. 17, and was named “Kabayan.”
In the PAGASA’s 5 a.m. public forecast, weather specialist Patrick del Mundo said the center of the eye of Kabayan was estimated to be 525 kilometers east of Davao City, Davao del Sur.
It is moving westward at 10 kilometers per hour (kph), with maximum sustained winds of 55 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 70 kph.
Kabayan is expected to make landfall over Surigao del Sur or Davao Oriental on Sunday evening, Dec. 17 or Monday morning, Dec. 18.
“It will cross the Mindanao-Visayas area and exit west of Puerto Princesa, Palawan on Monday or Tuesday (Dec. 19). It will exit the Philippine area of responsibility on Wednesday (Dec. 20),” del Mundo added.
He said Kabayan may continue to move west-northwestward across the Philippine archipelago over the next two days and is likely to maintain its strength until its landfall over Mindanao.
Signal No. 1
Due to its anticipated effect of the approaching tropical depression, tropical cyclone wind signal number 1 was hoisted over the southern portion of Samar, southern portion of Eastern Samar, eastern and southern portions of Leyte, Southern Leyte, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Norte, the northern and eastern portions of Agusan del Sur, northern portion of Davao Oriental, eastern portion of Misamis Oriental, and Camiguin.
“Additional provinces in Visayas and Mindanao may be placed under Wind Signal No. 1 in the next bulletin,” Pagasa said.
“The wind signals warn the public of the general wind threat over an area due to the tropical cyclone,” it added.
