Cebu City on alert as tropical depression develops outside PAR

Local

CEBU City remains under close monitoring as a tropical depression developed outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Tuesday, Feb. 3.

Cebu City Councilor Dave Tumulak, who heads the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CCDRRMC), said authorities are closely tracking the system’s movement and weather changes.

“Based on the latest situation, there are changes in the weather pattern, especially in direction. We remain on alert and continue monitoring, and all resources are ready in case conditions change,” Tumulak said.

He said Cebu City has not yet been placed under blue alert status, but this could change once the weather bureau issues updated guidance on the system’s track early Wednesday.

“We’ll know more by tomorrow, around 5 a.m., once Pagasa releases the next bulletin,” he added.

As of 2 p.m. Tuesday, the low pressure area being monitored outside PAR had intensified into a tropical depression located about 1,075 kilometers east of northeastern Mindanao, packing maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 70 kph, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).

The system is moving northwestward slowly and is expected to influence weather conditions over large portions of the Visayas and Mindanao, even while still outside PAR.

In its 4 p.m. public weather forecast issued Tuesday, Pagasa said Central Visayas, including Cebu, may experience cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms caused by the trough of the tropical depression. Moderate to, at times, heavy rains could trigger flash floods or landslides, particularly in vulnerable areas.

Pagasa added that moderate to strong northeast winds will prevail over the eastern sections of the Visayas, with moderate to rough coastal waters reaching up to 3.7 meters, posing risks to small sea craft.

The weather bureau earlier said the system has a high chance of entering PAR and could be given the local name “Basyang” once it develops further into a tropical cyclone.

Forecasters warned that the system could affect parts of the Visayas and Mindanao in the coming days.

Meanwhile, the northeast monsoon, or “amihan,” continues to affect Luzon, bringing light to moderate rains over northern areas, while localized thunderstorms remain possible across the rest of the country.

Tumulak assured residents that Cebu City’s disaster response units are prepared should weather conditions worsen.

Pagasa advised the public, especially those in flood- and landslide-prone areas and coastal communities, to stay updated on official advisories and take necessary precautions as the tropical depression moves closer to the country.(TGP)