Stormy weather seen this week

MANILA, Philippines - State meteorologists advised yesterday residents of eastern Visayas and northern Mindanao to brace for stormy weather beginning late Tuesday as Tropical Storm Peipah, which will be locally named Domeng, moved closer to the country.

The weather disturbance was expected to enter the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) yesterday afternoon.

Robert Sawi, weather division chief of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), said the storm will start dumping rains over the eastern section of Visayas and Mindanao this afternoon.

As of 4 p.m. yesterday, the storm was spotted some 1,020 km east of General Santos City with maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour near its center and gustiness of up to 80 kph.

It was projected to move west-northwest at 20 kph.

“By late Tuesday, rains with gusty winds will prevail over eastern Visayas and northern Mindanao which may trigger flashfloods and landslides,” Sawi told The STAR.

“It is possible that after hitting the Visayas, the storm will linger over the region, bringing more rain that could trigger flooding,” Sawi said.

According to AccuWeather.com, the storm might follow the same track of the deadly Typhoon Pablo that made landfall over southern Mindanao in December 2012.

“The good news is that a repeat of Pablo’s super typhoon status is not expected,” it said.

Meanwhile, PAGASA said Metro Manila and the rest of the country would have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms mostly in the afternoon or evening.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) had ordered its field units to come up with precautionary measures as the tropical storm enters the country.

In a bulletin issued yesterday, NDRRMC reminded its local offices to disseminate timely warnings in their respective areas.

“Emphasis should be on proactive actions - evacuation rather than rescue,” NDRRMC said, noting that the weather disturbance was expected to affect the eastern part of Visayas and Mindanao.

Local disaster management units were also told to “untiringly aim for zero casualties.” With Alexis Romero