TD Samuel veers west-northwest; Signal 1 up over 4 areas

Tropical Depression Samuel started heading west-northwest at 15 kilometers per hour, but maintained its strength, early Monday morning, weather service PAGASA reported in a 5 a.m. morning bulletin.

At 4 a.m., Samuel was 660 kilometers east-southeast of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur, with 55 kilometer per hour winds and gusts of up to 65 kph.

Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal 1 thus was raised over:

• Surigao del Norte,
• Surigao del Sur,
• Agusan del Norte, and
• Dinagat Island.

Signal 1 was also likely to be raised over Southern Leyte and Eastern Samar later in the day.

Samuel was also expected to bring moderate to heavy rain over the Caraga Region, Davao Oriental, the Compostela Valley, Southern Leyte, Bohol, Camiguin, and Misamis Oriental. Flooding and landslides were thus a danger in low-lying and mountainous sections of these provinces.

Fisherfolk and those with small seacraft were also warned against sailing over coasts under Signal 1, and the eastern seaboards of the Visayas and Mindanao.

With Samuel now moving west-northwest at 15 kph, the tropical depression would be:

• 395 kms east of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur by Tuesday morning,
• in the vicinity of Hugpa, Southern Leyte by Wednesday morning,
• 145 kms north-northeast of Puerto Princesa City, Palawan by Thursday morning,
• 570 kms west-northwest of Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, and outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility, by Friday morning.

Meanwhile, the northeast monsoon would also be affecting the country on Monday, bringing partly cloudy to cloudy conditions with isolated light rain over the Ilocos, Cordillera Administrative, Cagayan Valley, and Central Luzon Regions.

The rest of Luzon would be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rainshowers. — DVM, GMA News