Twenty-one areas across the country are under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 1 as Tropical Depression Wilma continues to move closer to the country’s landmass, the state weather bureau said late Friday afternoon.
In its 5 p.m. tropical cyclone bulletin, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Atmospheric Services Administration (Pagasa) said the following areas were under TCWS No. 1:
The southern portion of Sorsogon (Matnog, Bulan, Irosin, Santa Magdalena, Bulusan, Barcelona, Magallanes, Juban, Casiguran, Gubat)
mainland Masbate including Ticao Island
Northern Samar
Eastern Samar
Samar
Biliran
Leyte
Southern Leyte
Cebu including Bantayan and Camotes Islands
Bohol
the northern and central portions of Negros Occidental (Sagay City, City of Escalante, Toboso, Calatrava, Enrique B. Magalona, City of Victorias, Manapla, Cadiz City, Bacolod City, City of Talisay, Silay City, Salvador Benedicto, San Carlos City, Murcia, Bago City, La Carlota City, La Castellana, Moises Padilla, Valladolid, Pulupandan, San Enrique, Pontevedra, Hinigaran, Isabela, Binalbagan, City of Himamaylan, City of Kabankalan)
Siquijor
the northern and central portions of Negros Oriental (City of Guihulngan, Canlaon City, Vallehermoso, La Libertad, Jimalalud, Tayasan, Ayungon, Bindoy, Manjuyod, Bais City, Pamplona, City of Tanjay, Amlan, San Jose, Dumaguete City, Valencia, Sibulan, Bacong, Mabinay)
the northern and central portions of Iloilo (San Dionisio, Estancia, Batad, Carles, Concepcion, Ajuy, Sara, Balasan, Lemery, Barotac Viejo, San Rafael, City of Passi, San Enrique, Anilao, Banate, Dingle, Barotac Nuevo, Mina, Pototan, New Lucena, Santa Barbara, Pavia, Iloilo City, Leganes, Zarraga, Dumangas, Dueñas, Bingawan)
the eastern and central portions of Capiz (Pilar, President Roxas, Panay, Pontevedra, Ma-Ayon, Cuartero, Dumarao, Dao, Panitan, Roxas City, Ivisan, Sigma, Sapi-An, Mambusao, Dumalag)
Guimaras
Surigao del Norte including Siargao and Bucas Grande Islands
Dinagat Islands
the northern portion of Surigao del Sur (Carrascal, Cantilan, Madrid, Carmen, Lanuza)
the northern portion of Agusan del Norte (Kitcharao, Jabonga, Santiago, Tubay, City of Cabadbaran, Remedios T. Romualdez, Magallanes)
Camiguin
TCWS No. 1 warns of strong winds between 39 and 61 kilometers per hour (kph) in the next 36 hours, posing minimal to minor threat to life and property.
In the 5 p.m. tropical cyclone bulletin, Pagasa said Wilma was last seen 180 kilometers (km) east of Borongan City, Eastern Samar.
The tropical depression was packing maximum sustained winds of up to 45 kph and gusts of up to 55 kph while moving westward slowly.
‘Wilma is forecast to move west southwestward until [Saturday] before turning generally westward for the remaining forecast period,’ Pagasa explained.
‘On the forecast track, the center of Wilma may make its initial landfall over Eastern Visayas between [Friday] late evening and [Saturday] morning,’ it added