Basyang maintains strength, course; Surigao del Sur landfall predicted
Tropical Storm Basyang (international name Sanba) maintained its strength and continued to make its way towards Surigao del Sur early Tuesday morning, weather service PAGASA reported in a 5 a.m. bulletin.
At 4 a.m., Basyang was 175 kilometers east of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur, with sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 80 kph.
The tropical storm woudl bring scattered to widespread moderate to heavy rain over the Visayas; the Caraga, Northern Mindanao, and Zamboanga Peninsula Regions; and over Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental, Compostela Valley, and Lanao del Sur.
Basyang would also bring scattered light to moderate, with at times heavy rain over the Bicol Region, Mimaropa, and the rest of Mindanao.
Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal 2 was raised over:
- 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
- the northern section of Bukidnon.
PAGASA warned that coastal areas under Signal 2 may experience a meter-high storm surge, while coastal waters in these areas would have 4.1 to 14 meter high waves.
Meanwhile, Signal 1 was also raised over:
- Palawan including the Calamian Islands,
- the southern section of Masbate,
- Aklan,
- Capiz,
- Antique,
- Iloilo,
- Guimaras,
- the rest of Negros Occidental,
- the rest of Cebu,
- Leyte,
- Biliran,
- Samar,
- Eastern Samar,
- Zamboanga del Norte,
- Zamboanga del Sur,
- Zamboanga Sibugay,
- Misamis Occidental,
- Lanao del Norte,
- Lanao del Sur,
- the rest of Bukidnon,
- Cotabato,
- Compostela Valley,
- Davao del Norte, and
- Davao Oriental.
Coastal waters along these areas would experience 1.25 to four meter high waves.
Given Basyang's speed and direction, the tropical storm was likely to make landfall over Surigao del Sur in the Caraga Region on Tuesday morning.
After which, Basyang would be:
- 115 kms west of Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental by Wednesday morning,
- 125 kms west of Puerto Princesa City, Palawan by Thursday morning, and
- 60 kms west-southwest of Pagasa Island, Palawan, and outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility, by Friday morning.