'Tonyo' crosses Negros’ southern tip, heads for Palawan

MANILA, Philippines - Tropical depression "Tonyo" has crossed the southern tip of Negros and is now traversing Sulu Sea toward Palawan, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Saturday morning. In its 5 a.m. advisory, Pagasa warned of possible flash floods and landslides over Eastern Visayas due to rainshowers and thunderstorms over the region. "Palawan will have rains and gusty winds and the coastal waters along these areas will be moderate to rough. The rest of Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao will experience mostly cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms becoming cloudy skies with widespread rains over Eastern Visayas which may trigger flashfloods and landslides," it said. The rest of Luzon will be partly cloudy to at times cloudy skies with isolated rains, it added. As of 4 a.m., "Tonyo" was 100 km west of Dumaguete City, packing maximum sustained winds of 45 kph near the center and moving west-northwest at 22 kph. By Sunday morning it is expected to be 100 km west-northwest of Puerto Princesa City. By Monday morning it is expected to be 610 km west-northwest of Puerto Princesa City. Areas under Storm Signal No. 1 include Palawan, Southern Negros, and Zamboanga del Norte. Public storm signal 1 elsewhere had been lowered. However, Pagasa advised residents in low-lying areas and near mountain slopes under Signal No. 1 against possible flash floods and landslides. Meanwhile, moderate to strong winds blowing from the northeast will prevail over Northern and Central Luzon and the coastal waters along these areas will be moderate to rough. Elsewhere, winds will be light to moderate coming from the northeast and southeast with slight to moderate seas except during thunderstorms. - GMANews.TV