The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Tropical storm “Dante” (international name “Choi-wan”) is now off the southwestern coast of Masbate and is heading towards the vicinity of Romblon.
In the PAGASA’s bulletin issued at 5 a.m., Wednesday, Dante has maintained its maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 90 kph while moving west-northwestward at 25 kph.
The location of its center was estimated over the western coastal waters of Balud, Masbate at around 4 a.m
Tropical cyclone wind signal No. 2 remains hoisted over the southern portion of Quezon, extreme southeastern portion of Batangas, Marinduque, central portion of Oriental Mindoro, Romblon, Masbate, western portion of Camarines Norte, western portion of Camarines Sur, extreme northern portion of Capiz, northern portion of Aklan, and extreme northeastern portion of Iloilo.
Signal No. 1 is still up in Abra, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Benguet, Ilocos Sur, La Union, eastern portion of Pangasinan, southern portion of Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Pampanga, Bulacan, Metro Manila, Rizal, Laguna, Cavite, the rest of Batangas, the rest of Quezon including Polillo Islands, the rest of Camarines Norte, the rest of Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Albay, Sorsogon, the rest of Oriental Mindoro, and Occidental Mindoro, western portion of Northern Samar, western portion of Samar, Biliran, northern portion of Leyte, northern and central portions of Cebu, including Bantayan and Camotes Islands, the northern portion of Negros Occidental, extreme northern portion of Negros Oriental, Guimaras, the rest of Iloilo, the rest of Capiz, the rest of Aklan, and Antique.
Moderate to heavy rains
Within the next 24 hours, Dante is forecast to bring moderate to heavy with at times intense rains over Romblon, Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Iloilo, Capiz, Aklan, Antique, Guimaras, Negros Occidental, northern Negros Oriental, northern and central Cebu including Bantayan Islands.
Moreover, moderate to heavy rains may affect Calabarzon, Occidental Mindoro, Masbate, northern Palawan including Calamian and Cuyo Islands, and the rest of Negros Oriental and Cebu, while light to moderate with at times heavy rains are also likely over Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Pangasinan, Benguet, and the rest of Mimaropa, Bicol Region, and Visayas.
Forecast track and intensity
The state weather bureau said Dante will continue moving generally west northwestward and pass near or in the vicinity of Romblon and Marinduque in the next 12 hours before turning northwestward to north northwestward towards the southern Quezon-Batangas area, where it will make another landfall Wednesday afternoon or evening.
Afterwards, the storm will track over mainland Luzon until Thursday afternoon, June 3. However, given the recent southwestward shift in the track forecasts, there is a possibility that this storm may come onshore over Oriental Mindoro after passing Romblon.
“Due to increased vertical wind shear and land interaction, this tropical storm is forecast to maintain its strength until it makes landfall over mainland Luzon,” PAGASA said.
“Further land interaction with the rugged terrain of mainland Luzon will weaken Dante into a tropical depression (Wednesday) afternoon or evening,” it added.
The agency said Dante will likely be over the coastal waters of Banton, Romblon at around 2 p.m. Wednesday.
At around 2 a.m. Thursday, it will in the vicinity of San Rafael, Bulacan, and may weaken into a tropical depression before reaching the vicinity of San Juan, Ilocos Sur at around 2 p.m. that same day.
By Friday, June 4, Dante will likely be 125 km west borthwest of Calayan, Cagayan and may further weaken into a remnant low.