Tropical depression to enter PAR on Tuesday – Pagasa

| From Dost_pagasa

MANDAUE CITY, Cebu – The tropical depression that threatens the Visayas and Mindanao areas continues to maintain its strength as it moves westward, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) reported.

In its Tropical Cyclone Advisory released at 11 a.m. on Monday, December 13, the weather bureau said the tropical depression was located about 1,760 kilometers east of Mindanao with a maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour (km/h) near its center and gustiness of up to 70 km/h as of 10 a.m. of the same day.

It will be named Odette as soon as it enters the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) Tuesday night, Dec. 14.

“This tropical cyclone is forecast to gradually intensify within the forecast period and may reach typhoon category by Wednesday. A peak intensity of around 150 km/h may be reached prior to landfall,” the Pagasa advisory reads.

From Dost_pagasa

Based on its current track and intensity, Pagasa said “there is a high likelihood that Tropical Cyclone Wind Signals will be hoisted for Visayas, large portions of Mindanao, and several provinces in Southern Luzon due to the threat of strong to typhoon-force winds.”

“The highest possible wind signal that may be hoisted is TCWS #3. Localities situated in the eastern portions of Visayas and Mindanao may be placed under TCWS #1 as early as Tuesday afternoon or evening,” it added.

As a preparation, Daanbantayan Mayor Sun Shimura convened members of their Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (MDRRMC) Sunday afternoon  as he also instructed all barangay officials to convene their respective DRRM councils and to include school principals in their meetings so they can prepare and identify school buildings that may be utilized as evacuation centers.

Shimura also directed the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office and the barangays to prepare food packs for the evacuees.

Also, the Philippine Coast Guard has been advised to closely monitor activities at the different ports in Barangays Poblacion, Maya, and Tapilon and to order the suspension of sea trips starting at 5 p.m. on Tuesday.

Vice Mayor Gilbert Arrabis, Jr. also encouraged barangays to conduct recoridas to especially warn their constituents of the coming storm and to prevent the fisherfolk from going out into the sea.