Tropical Storm Basyang makes landfall in Surigao del Sur

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MANILA, Philippines – Tropical Storm Basyang (Sanba) made landfall in Cortes, Surigao del Sur at 9:15 am on Tuesday, February 13.

State weather bureau PAGASA announced the landfall on its social media accounts.

In an earlier bulletin issued at 8 am, PAGASA had said Basyang is moving northwest at 25 kilometers per hour (km/h), with maximum winds of 65 km/h and gustiness of up to 80 km/h.

Signal number 2 is raised in:

• Bohol
• southern part of Cebu
• Siquijor
• Negros Oriental
• southern part of Negros Occidental
• Southern Leyte
• Dinagat Islands
• Surigao del Norte
• Surigao del Sur
• Agusan del Norte
• Agusan del Sur
• Camiguin
• Misamis Oriental
• northern part of Bukidnon

Signal number 1, meanwhile, is up over:

• Palawan including Calamian Group of Islands
• southern part of Masbate
• Aklan
• Capiz
• Antique
• Iloilo
• Guimaras
• northern part of Negros Occidental
• northern part of Cebu
• Leyte
• Biliran
• Samar
• Eastern Samar
• Zamboanga del Sur
• northern part of Zamboanga del Norte
• northern part of Zamboanga Sibugay
• Misamis Occidental
• Lanao del Norte
• Lanao del Sur
• southern part of Bukidnon
• North Cotabato
• Compostela Valley
• Davao del Norte
• northern part of Davao Oriental

PAGASA warned areas under signal number 1 and 2 that moderate to heavy rain will persist within the next 24 hours. Residents should watch out for possible flash floods and landslides.

After making landfall, Basyang is expected to cross Caraga, Northern Mindanao, and Palawan.

Based on its latest forecast track, Basyang will leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) late Thursday, February 15, or early Friday, February 16.

Sea travel remains risky in areas under signal numbers 1 and 2, the seaboards of Northern Luzon and of the Visayas, the eastern seaboards of Central Luzon, and the eastern and southern seaboards of Southern Luzon due to Basyang and the surge of the northeast monsoon.

Hundreds of passengers have been stranded in the Visayas and Mindanao, according to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).

Meanwhile, the northeast monsoon will continue to bring scattered rainshowers to the regions of Cagayan Valley, Cordillera, and Ilocos, as well as the provinces of Aurora and Quezon, but PAGASA said there will be “no significant impact.”

The rest of the country, including Metro Manila, will only have localized thunderstorms. (READ: FAST FACTS: Tropical cyclones, rainfall advisories)

– Rappler.com