Samuel heads for the Eastern Visayas-Caraga; Signal 1 up over 24 areas

Tropical Depression Samuel maintained its strength even as weather service PAGASA predicted that the weather system would make landfall somewhere over the Eastern Visayas-Caraga Regions on Tuesday evening.

At 10 p.m. on Monday, Samuel was 410 kilometers east-northeast of Surigao del Sur's Hinatuan town, with 55 kilometers per hour winds and gusts of up to 65 kph.

Samuel was expected to bring moderate to heavy rain over the Caraga, Northern Mindanao, Eastern Visayas, and Central Visayas Region; and over the provinces of Negros Occidental, Davao Oriental, and Compostela Valley.

Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal 1 was thus raised over:

• Masbate including Ticao Island,
• Northern Samar,
• Samar,
• Eastern Samar,
• Biliran,
• Leyte,
• Southern Leyte,
• Bohol,
• Cebu,
• Siquijor,
• Negros Oriental,
• Negros Occidental,
• Aklan,
• Capiz,
• Antique,
• Iloilo,
• Guimaras, 
• Surigao del Norte,
• Surigao del Sur,
• Agusan del Norte,
• Agusan del Sur,
• Dinagat Islands,
• Misamis Oriental, and
• Camiguin.

Signal 1 was also likely to be raised over Romblon and Cuyo Island in the next few hours.

Samuel also made sea conditions along seaboards under Signal 1, and the eastern and southern seaboards of Mindanao, dangerous for fisherfolk and those with small seacraft.

With Samuel making its way west-northwest at 20 kph, PAGASA predicted that the tropical depression would be:

• 50 kms south-southeast of Guiuan, Eastern Samar by Tuesday evening,
• 60 kms west-northwest of Cuyo, Palawan by Wednesday evening,
• 450 kms west-northwest of Puerto Princesa City, Palawan by Thursday evening, and
• 800 kms west-northwest of Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, and outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility, by Friday evening.

— DVM, GMA News