Gale warning strands several passengers and vessels in Cebu
Hundreds of passengers are left stranded at Cebu City’s Pier 1 after the Philippine Coast Guard Cebu station barred travel for ships weighing below 250 gross tons after a gale warning from Pagasa Mactan. (CDN PHOTOS/JUNJIE MENDOZA)
Vessels bound for Bantayan Island, northern Cebu; San Carlos City, Negros Occidental; Tubigon town, Bohol; Camotes Island, Cebu; and Ormoc City in Leyte were not allowed to sail on Tuesday following a gale warning issued by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).
Hundreds of passengers were stranded in ports across the region as the gale warning covered the provinces of Cebu, Siquijor and Bohol.
In Cebu, the head of the Philippine Coast Guard Cebu station, Commander Dionlett Ampil, said that an estimated 500 passengers were stranded in the ports of Hagnaya in the northern town of San Remegio; Toledo City in the midwest; Danao City, northern Cebu; and Cebu City’s ports.
“Sixteen vessels were not allowed to sail. These are mostly 250 gross tons and below,” Ampil told Cebu Daily News.
Vessels weighing above 250 gross tons were able to sail, he added.
The gale warning, which was issued by Pagasa Mactan at 4 a.m., was lifted at 5 p.m. on the same day.
But a check on the vessels at around 5:30 p.m. showed that they all remained at port.
Hundreds of passengers are left stranded at Cebu City’s Pier 1 after the Philippine Coast Guard Cebu station barred travel for ships weighing below 250 gross tons after a gale warning from Pagasa Mactan. (CDN PHOTOS/JUNJIE MENDOZA)
“The management (of the shipping lines) could still cancel if they would assess that it is risky to sail,” Ampil explained.
Alice Canasa, weather specialist for Pagasa Mactan, said that waves in Cebu were between moderate to rough.
A low pressure area (LPA) monitored by the weather bureau since Monday already dissipated yesterday; however, the tail-end of a cold front was affecting the weather system in the region.
The tail-end of the cold front, which continues to affect Cebu, is caused by the overlapping of warm and cold winds in the upper latitude.
This kind of weather system has been experienced in the Philippines because of the winds blowing from the northeast monsoon.
Canasa said that Cebu will experience light to moderate rains today.
The weather condition will start to improve on Thursday.
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