(Eagle News) — “Vinta” continues to intensify as it moves toward southern Palawan on Saturday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said.
In its 8 a.m. bulletin, PAGASA said the center of “Vinta,” now a tropical storm, was seen 210 kilometers west northwest of Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Sur or 285 kilometers southeast of Puerto Princesa, Palawan.
The tropical storm is packing maximum sustained winds of up to 80 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 95 kilometers per hour.
It is forecast to move west at 20 kilometers per hour, and is expected to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility between tomorrow (24 December) morning and afternoon.
Signal No. 2 is up over Southern Palawan, while the rest of the province is under Signal No. 1.
Scattered to widespread moderate to heavy rains will prevail over Palawan, while scattered light to moderate with at times heavy rains are expected over Bicol region, Visayas, Mindanao, and the rest of MIMAROPA within 24 hours, PAGASA said.
The weather bureau said residents of these areas must “take appropriate actions against flooding and landslides, coordinate with their respective local disaster risk reduction and continue monitoring updates.”
“Sea travel remains risky over the seaboards of areas under tropical cyclone signal , the southern seaboard of Mindoro provinces and the western seaboard of Aklan and Antique due to the tropical storm,” PAGASA said.
