MANILA, Philippines — PAGASA on Tuesday said Tropical Storm "Dante" (Choi-wan) slightly weakened as it moved closer to Eastern Samar where it is expected to make landfall.
The weather bureau in its afternoon bulletin said Dante was last seen at 85 kilometers east northeast of Guiuan, Eastern Samar.
It now packs 65 kilometers per hour peak winds, and gusts of up to 80 kph. Dante continues to move north northwestward at 25 kph, and is forecast to landfall over Eastern Samar tonight or Wednesday morning.
These areas remain under PAGASA's tropical cyclone wind signals:
Signal No. 2 (Damaging gale-force winds prevailing or expected within 24 hours)
Luzon:
- Catanduanes
- southern portion of Camarines Sur (Caramoan, Presentacion, Lagonoy, San Jose, Sagñay, Garchitorena, Buhi, Iriga City, Bato, Nabua, Balatan, Goa, Tigaon, Ocampo, Bula, Baao, Pili, Minalabac, Milaor, Naga City, Calabanga, Bombon, Magarao, Canaman, Camaligan, Gainza, San Fernando, Tinambac, Siruma)
- Masbate including Ticao and Burias Island
- Albay
- Sorsogon
Visayas:
- Eastern Samar
- Samar
- Northern Samar
- Biliran
- northeastern portion of Leyte (Carigara, Barugo, San Miguel, Babatngon, Tacloban City, Alangalang, Tunga, Santa Fe, Palo)
Signal No. 1 (Strong winds prevailing or expected within 36 hours)
Luzon:
- Rizal
- Laguna
- southeastern portion of Batangas (Lobo, San Juan, Rosario, Taysan, City of Tanauan, Santo Tomas, Malvar, Lipa City, Padre Garcia, Ibaan, Batangas City, Balete, Mataas na kahoy, San Jose)
- Quezon including Polillo Islands
- rest of Camarines Norte
- Marinduque
- Romblon
Visayas:
- northeastern portion of Aklan (Lezo, Numancia, Banga, Kalibo, New Washington, Balete, Batan, Altavas, Makato, Tangalan)
- northeastern portion of Capiz (Mambusao, Sapi-An, Ivisan, Roxas City, Panitan, Sigma, Panay, Pontevedra, President Roxas, Pilar, Ma-Ayon, Dao, Cuartero)
- northeastern portion of Iloilo (Sara, San Dionisio, Batad, Estancia, Balasan, Carles, Lemery, Ajuy, Concepcion)
- northeastern portion of Negros Occidental (Manapla, Cadiz City, Sagay City, City of Escalante, Toboso, City of Victorias, Calatrava)
- northern portion of Cebu (Balamban, Asturias, Tuburan, Tabuelan, Sogod, San Remigio, City of Bogo, Borbon, Tabogon, Bantayan Islands, Daanbantayan, Medellin, Catmon, Danao City, Carmen, Compostela, Cebu City, Liloan, Consolacion, Mandaue City, Lapu-Lapu City, Cordova)
- northeastern potion of Bohol (Getafe, Talibon, Trinidad, Bien Unido, Ubay, San Miguel, Alicia, Buenavista, Mabini, Candijay, Anda, Inabanga, Guindulman, Dagohoy, Pilar, Danao, Pres. Carlos P. Garcia)
- rest of Leyte
- Southern Leyte
Mindanao:
- Surigao del Norte
- including Siargao
- Bucas Grande Islands
- Dinagat Island
- northern portion of Agusan del Norte (Kitcharao, Jabonga, Santiago, Tubay, City of Cabadbaran, Magallanes, Remedios T. Romualdez, Butuan City)
- northern portion of Agusan del Sur (Sibagat)
- northern portion of Surigao del Sur (San Miguel, Tago, City of Tandag, Cortes, Lanuza, Carmen, Madrid, Cantilan, Carrascal)
What to expect
Dante will keep moving generally northwestward until Wednesday evening. PAGASA said it is likely to remain a tropical storm too before making landfall.
Rains, however, are seen to persist today through Wednesday morning in these areas:
Moderate to heavy with at times intense rains:
- Surigao del Norte
- Dinagat Islands
- Leyte
- Southern Leyte
- Biliran
- Masbate
- Romblon
Moderate to heavy rains:
- Surigao del Sur
- Agusan del Norte
- Camiguin
- Samar
- Bohol
- northern portion of
- Cebu including Bantayan and Camotes Islands
- Capiz
- Iloilo
- Sorsogon
- Albay
- Camarines Norte
- Camarines Sur
- Marinduque
- southern portion of Quezon
Light to moderate with at times heavy rains:
- Misamis Oriental
- Agusan del Sur
- Bukidnon
- Catanduanes
- rest of Visayas
Dante will also continue to bring rough to very rough seas over the seaboards of areas under Signal No. 2, as well as over the eastern seaboard of Caraga.
"Sea travel is risky for small seacrafts over these waters," PAGASA said. "Mariners without the proper experience should immediately seek safe harbor."
Moderate to rough seas, meanwhile, will be experienced over the eastern seaboard of Davao Oriental, and the remaining seaboards of areas under Signal No. 1.
Forecast Position
- Wednesday afternoon: In the vicinity of Goa, Camarines Sur
- Thursday afternoon: In the vicinity of Maconacon, Isabela
- Friday afternoon: 120 km east of Itbayat, Batanes
- Saturday afternoon: 825 km northeast of extreme northern Luzon