Dante intensifies into a tropical storm, will bring rains over Caraga, 4 other areas

Tropical Depression Dante has intensified and became a tropical storm. It is expected to bring rains which may at times be heavy over Caraga and four other areas on Monday, PAGASA said.

Dante's outer rainbands will bring light to moderate with at times heavy rains over Caraga, Davao Region, SOCCSKSARGEN, Bukidnon, and Misamis Oriental.

Flooding and rain-induced landslides may occur in areas prone to these hazards. 

However, even adjacent or nearby areas may get flooded even without rainfall due to surface runoff or swelling of river channels.

From the center or eye of Dante, gale-force winds will extend outward up to 50 km.

No Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal has been hoisted. PAGASA however said that it may hoist TCWS over the eastern portion of the country should there be any further westward shift in Dante's track forecast or expansion in the storm's wind radius.

At 10 p.m. Sunday, the center of Dante was located at 625 km east of Davao City.

It has maximum sustained winds of 65 km/h near the center and gustiness of up to 80 km/h. Central pressure was measured at 998 hPa.

Dante is moving north northwestward at 15 km/h and will continue generally northwestward over the next three days. Then Dante will move northward on Thursday and northeastward on Friday.

PAGASA said Dante is forecast to remain over the Philippine Sea throughout the forecast period.

The tropical storm is expected to gradually intensify in the next 48 hours then will weaken.

PAGASA advised the public and disaster risk reduction and management offices concerned to take the necessary precautions and actions.

The next weather bulletin will be issued at 11 a.m.

Missing, floods

Meanwhile, search operations are ongoing to locate two people who went missing as heavy rains from Dante caused flooding in South Cotabato over the weekend.

The missing persons were a father and son who stayed in their field in the municipality of Norala to keep watch over their ducks, according to a report by Darlene Cay on Unang Balita on Monday.

However, the river nearby overflowed its banks, flooding their area.

Heavy rains from Dante caused rivers to overflow, flooding rice fields and fish ponds in Norala and Banga in South Cotabato. —KG, GMA News