Tropical Depression Basyang crossing Sulu Sea

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MANILA, Philippines – Tropical Depression Basyang (Sanba) continued to cross the Sulu Sea before dawn on Wednesday, February 14, heading for Palawan.

In a bulletin issued at 5 am on Wednesday, PAGASA said Basyang is already 185 kilometers west southwest of Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, still moving west southwest at 26 kilometers per hour (km/h).

Basyang is expected to make its 3rd and final landfall in Palawan on Wednesday evening. It has made landfall twice, so far – first in Cortes, Surigao del Sur at 9:15 am on Tuesday, February 13, and then in Dumaguete City at 9 pm on the same day.

At least 4 people have been reported dead in Surigao del Sur due to Basyang.

The tropical depression continues to have maximum winds of 45 km/h and gustiness of up to 60 km/h.

Only 4 areas remain under signal number 1:

• Palawan including Calamian and Cuyo
• southern part of Negros Occidental
• southern part of Negros Oriental
• northern part of Zamboanga del Norte

PAGASA warned Palawan and Western Visayas that moderate to heavy rain will persist within the next 24 hours. There will also be light to heavy rain in the rest of the Visayas, Bicol, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, and Caraga. Residents of these areas should watch out for flash floods and landslides.

Based on its latest forecast track, Basyang will leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Thursday afternoon, February 15.

Sea travel remains risky in areas under signal number 1, the seaboards of Northern Luzon and Palawan, as well as the eastern seaboards of Central Luzon, Southern Luzon, and the Visayas due to Basyang and the surge of the northeast monsoon.

At least 4,697 passengers have been stranded in various ports as of 8 pm on Tuesday, according to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).

Meanwhile, the northeast monsoon is affecting Northern Luzon and Central Luzon, but PAGASA said there will be “no significant impact.” (READ: FAST FACTS: Tropical cyclones, rainfall advisories)

– Rappler.com