PAGASA Hoisted Signal No. 1 in 11 Areas in Mindanao

Weather agency on Friday raised public storm signal no.1 over 11 areas in Mindanao as the low-pressure area (LPA) intensified into a tropical depression.

PAGASA’s weather bulletin said that as of 10 a.m. Friday, Tropical Depression Caloy was seen at 330 km east northeast of Davao City, with maximum sustained winds of 45 kph near its center. The weather authority forecast Caloy to move westward at 11 kph.

Reports said Caloy is expected to be at 95 km northeast of Davao City by Saturday morning and at 70 km north of Cotabato City by Sunday morning.

PAGASA forecasters said by Monday morning, Caloy is expected to be at 150 km northwest of Zamboanga City.

The weather agency reported moderate to heavy rains (5 to 15 mm per hour) are expected within the 300 km diameter of the tropical depression, warning residents living in low lying and mountainous areas against possible flashfloods and landslides.

PAGASA also warned fishing boats and other small seacraft not to sail into the northern seaboard of northern Luzon and the eastern seaboards of northern and Central Luzon due to the strong Amihan winds.

The weather agency named the following areas under Public Storm Warning Signal No. 1:

Davao Oriental
Davao del Norte
Compostela Valley
Northern part of Davao del Sur (including Davao City)
Surigao del Sur
Surigao del Norte
Agusan del Sur
Agusan del Norte
North Cotabato
Bukidnon
Misamis Oriental

According to Pagasa, the possible impact of winds under public storm warning signal no. 1 is the following:

•Twigs and branches of trees may be broken;

•Some banana plants may tilt or land flat on the ground;

•Rice in flowering stage may suffer significant damage;

•Some nipa and cogon houses may be partially unroofed; and

•Travel of small seacrafts and fishing boats is risky

Source: GMA News Online, PNA