**media**
Tropical storm "Dante" (international name "Choi-wan") made its first landfall over Sulat, Eastern Samar at 8:30 p.m., Tuesday, June 1, and may have a second landfall over Sorsogon or Masbate in the next few hours.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Dante was in the vicinity of Tarangnan, Samar around 10 p.m., maintaining its maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness up to 80 kph.
It is moving west-northwest at 15 kph.
Tropical cyclone wind signal No. 2 remains hoisted over Masbate, Sorsogon, Catanduanes, Albay, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, eastern portion of Romblon, eastern portion of Marinduque, southern portion of Quezon, Biliran, northern and central portions of Samar, and western portion of Northern Samar.
Signal No. 1 is also up in Quirino, Aurora, Nueva Vizcaya, eastern portion of Nueva Ecija, eastern portion Bulacan, eastern portion of Batangas, the rest of Quezon including Polillo Islands, the rest of Marinduque, the rest of Romblon, Oriental Mindoro, Eastern Samar, the rest of Samar, the rest of Northern Samar, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Aklan, northern portion of Capiz, northeastern portion of Iloilo, northern portion of Negros Occidental, northern portion of Cebu including Bantayan and Camotes Islands, northeastern portion of Bohol, Surigao del Norte including Siargao and Bucas Grande Islands, Dinagat Island, northern portion of Agusan del Norte, northern portion of Agusan del Sur, and northern portion of Surigao del Sur.
Severe winds, heavy to intense rainfall
Within 24 to 36 hours, Dante is expected to bring strong winds to gale-force winds in areas under Signal No. 2, while strong winds may affect areas under Signal No. 1.
Moreover, in the next few hours, PAGASA said the storm will bring moderate to heavy with at times intense rains over Samar, Biliran, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Cebu including Bantayan and Camotes Islands, Bohol, Siquijor, Negros Oriental, northern Negros Occidental, northeastern Iloilo, Capiz, Marinduque, Romblon, Masbate including Ticao and Burias Islands, Sorsogon, Albay, and Quezon including Polillo Islands.
Dante will also bring moderate to heavy rains over Occidental Mindoro, Cuyo Islands, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, and the rest of Visayas.
Light to moderate with at times heavy rains may also affect Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Oriental Mindoro, Calamian Islands, Camiguin, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte, Agusan del Norte, and Misamis Oriental.
"Under these conditions and considering antecedent rainfall, scattered to widespread flooding, including flash floods, and rain-induced landslides are expected, especially in areas with high or very high susceptibility to these hazards as identified in hazard maps," PAGASA warned.
"Adjacent or nearby areas may also experience flooding in the absence of such rainfall occurrence due to surface runoff or swelling of river channels," it added.
Forecast track and intensity
In its current forecast track, PAGASA said tropical storm Dante will likely make its second landfall over Sorsogon or Masbate and traverse the Bicol Peninsula before emerging over the eastern coastal waters of Quezon province.
Dante may continue to move generally west-northwestward or northwestward until Thursday morning, June 3.
The tropical storm will likely maintain its strength for the next 24 hours before eventually weakening into a tropical depression, PAGASA said.
However, considering the impact of land interaction and increased vertical wind shear, PAGASA sees an increasing likelihood that Dante may weaken into a tropical depression much earlier than the forecast period.