‘Tino’ batters Visayas with strong winds, heavy rains

Typhoon Tino (international name: Kalmaegi) continued to lash parts of the Visayas early Tuesday with life-threatening winds and torrential rains as it moved westward toward Cebu, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) reported.

“Nakapagtala tayo ng pangalawang landfall niya kaninang 5:10 a.m. dito sa may Borbon, Cebu (We recorded its second landfall at around 5:10 a.m. in Borbon, Cebu),” PAGASA weather specialist Chenel Dominguez said during a 5:45 a.m. briefing.

Dominguez added that the typhoon was “currently traversing the landmass of the Negros Island Region and parts of Western Visayas.”

As of 5 a.m., the center of Tino’s eye was located over the coastal waters of San Francisco, Cebu, packing maximum sustained winds of 150 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 205 kph. It was moving west at 25 kph, with strong to typhoon-force winds extending outward up to 300 km from the center.

Tino first made landfall over Silago, Southern Leyte, at around midnight.

Widespread wind signals

More areas were placed under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 4, including the western and southern parts of Leyte; northern and central Cebu, including Camotes and Bantayan Islands; northeastern Bohol; the northernmost part of Negros Oriental; northern Negros Occidental; Guimaras; central and southern Iloilo; and southern Antique.

TCWS No. 3 was raised over Southern Leyte, central and eastern Bohol, northern Negros Oriental, central Negros Occidental, the rest of Iloilo, southern Capiz, and central Antique.

Meanwhile, TCWS No. 2 is in effect over southern Masbate, Romblon, southern Mindoro, and northern Palawan, including the Calamian Islands. It also covers several areas in the Visayas and Mindanao, including Eastern Samar, Samar, Biliran, Bohol, Cebu, the Negros provinces, Siquijor, Capiz, Aklan, and Antique.

Areas under TCWS No. 1 include Albay, Sorsogon, parts of Quezon and Marinduque, Oriental and Occidental Mindoro, Palawan, Northern Samar, and parts of Northern Mindanao and the Zamboanga Peninsula.

Flood and landslide warnings

PAGASA warned that heavy to intense, at times torrential rains, may trigger flash floods and landslides over Palawan, Western Visayas, the Negros Island Region, and Central Visayas.

Rains with gusty winds are also expected over Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Albay, Sorsogon, Masbate, and the rest of Mimaropa.

Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Central Luzon, Isabela, and Aurora will have cloudy skies with scattered rains and isolated thunderstorms due to the shear line, while the northeast monsoon (amihan) will bring cloudy skies with light rains over the Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, and the rest of Cagayan Valley.

Forecast track

According to PAGASA, Tino is expected to cross the Visayas and northern Palawan before emerging over the West Philippine Sea by Wednesday morning. It may exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) by Wednesday evening or early Thursday.

“Due to interaction with the terrain, Tino may slightly weaken while crossing Visayas. However, it is expected to remain at typhoon category throughout its passage over the country,” PAGASA said.

Meanwhile, a low-pressure area (LPA) outside the PAR is being closely monitored. As of 2 a.m. Tuesday, it was located 2,165 km east of northeastern Mindanao and has a “high” chance of developing into a tropical depression within the next 24 hours.