By Chito A. Chavez
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical and Services Administration said yesterday that more rains are expected over Eastern Visayas as tropical storm “Urduja” (international name “Kai Tak”) remains stationary and is expected to make landfall in Eastern Samar and Northern Samar today.
PAGASA has raised public storm warning signals in several areas in Visayas and Luzon as slowly moves across the central Philippines.
Storm signal No. 2 is up in Eastern Samar, Northern Samar, Samar, and Biliran while storm signal No. 1 is hoisted in Catanduanes, Camarines Sur, Albay, Sorsogon, Masbate, including Burias and Ticao Islands, Romblon, Leyte, Southern Leyte, northern Cebu including Bantayan Island, northern Bohol, Capiz, Aklan, northern Iloilo, and Dinagat Islands.
As of 1 p.m. yesterday, Urduja was estimated based on all available data at 230 kilometers east of Borongan City, Eastern Samar with maximum sustained winds of 75 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 90 kph and moving northwest at five kph.
This morning, Urduja will be 125 kms east-northeast of Borongan City, Eastern Samar and in the vicinity of Silvino Lobos, Northern Samar tomorrow morning.
On Monday morning, it will be 65 kms north of Cuyo, Palawan.
PAGASA has warned residents of areas under the storm signals to take appropriate preparations as Urduja may bring moderate to heavy rains within its 500-kilometer diameter.
In Sorsogon, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office has said that eight families or 45 persons have been evacuated in the coastal portion of Barangay Dancalan, Bulusan due to the threat of storm surge from Urduja.
