TD Samuel keeps course, strength; evening landfall still expected

Tropical Depression Samuel maintained its strength and course early Tuesday morning, with weather service PAGASA still predicting that the weather system would make landfall somewhere over the Dinagat-Samar-Leyte by the evening.

At 4 a.m., Samuel was 395 kilometers east of Surigao del Norte's Surigao City, with 55 kilometer per hour winds and gusts of up to 65 kph.

Samuel would bring moderate to heavy rain, which could trigger flooding and landslides, over the Caraga, Northern Mindanao, Eastern Visayas, Central and Western Visayas, and Bicol Regions.

Aside from the downpours, the tropical depression would also make sea conditions over areas under Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal 1 and the eastern seaboard of southern Luzon dangerous for fisherfolk and small seacraft.

Meanwhile, more areas were placed under Signal 1:

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

With Samuel moving northwest at 20 kph, the tropical depression would be:

• in the vicinity of Guinsanga-an, Inopacan by Wednesday morning,
• 130 kms north of Puerto Princesa City, Palawan by Thursday morning, and
• 525 kms west-northwest of Palawan's Puerto Princesa City, and outside the Philippine Area of Responsiblity, by Friday morning.

— DVM, GMA News