(Eagle News) — Tropical Storm “Vinta” further weakened as it moved toward the Misamis Occidental-Zamboanga del Norte area on Friday afternoon.
In its 2 p.m. advisory, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said the center of “Vinta” was in the vicinity of Marawi City in Lanao del Sur as of 1 p.m.
The tropical storm is packing maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 110 kilometers, and is forecast to move westward at 20 kilometers per hour.
It is expected to be out of the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Monday morning.
Signal No. 2 has been hoisted over Misamis Oriental, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Misamis Occidental, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, and Zamboanga Sibugay, while Southern Leyte, Bohol, Southern Cebu, Negros Oriental, Southern Negros Occidental, and Siquijor, Agusan del Sur, Bukidnon, Davao del Norte, Dinagat Island, North Cotabato, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Norte, Camiguin, Compostela Valley, Northern Davao del Sur (Davao City), and Maguindanao have been placed under Signal No. 1.
“Scattered to widespread moderate to occasionally heavy rains will prevail over Visayas and Western Mindanao within 24 hours,” PAGASA said.
The weather bureau said residents of these areas must “(t)ake appropriate actions against flooding and landslides, coordinate with their respective local disaster risk reduction and management offices, and continue monitoring for updates.”
PAGASA said sea travel “remains risky over the seaboards of areas under tropical cyclone warning signal.”