Slow-moving tropical cyclone “Urduja” (international name “Kai-tak”) has crossed the Visayas but continues to lash parts of the region and Southern Luzon on its way to the West Philippine Sea.
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration weather forecaster Aldczar Aurelio warned that scattered to widespread rains will continue over the southern parts of Oriental Mindoro and Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan, Aklan, Capiz, and Antique.
PAGASA advised residents in these areas to undertake appropriate measures against flooding and landslides and coordinate with their local disaster risk reduction and management offices.
Rains over Bicol and Visayas are forecast to gradually weaken.
From a tropical storm, Urduja weakened into a tropical depression before making its second landfall over Mobo, Masbate at around 10 a.m. yesterday. It moved towards Oriental and Occidental Mindoro at around noon yesterday, and is expected to cross Palawan today, Aurelio said.
Urduja has maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 80 kph, moving west-southwest at 15 kph. It was spotted at 65 kms south of Romblon, Romblon yesterday afternoon.
PAGASA has lifted storm warnings in some areas, but Signal No. 1 remains raised over the southern parts of Oriental Mindoro and Occidental Mindoro, Romblon, Palawan, Aklan, Antique, and Capiz.
Should it maintain its current track, Aurelio said Urduja will be over the West Philippine Sea by tomorrow and outside the country’s area of responsibility by Wednesday.
Meanwhile, 33 people were reportedly killed due to Urduja.
Twenty-three of them were from Biliran Island – 14 from Caibiran, four from Almeria, four from Naval, and one from Biliran town, according to the Facebook page of the Non-Governmental Organization of Biliran Island.
Three persons were killed in the province of Leyte and three in Ormoc City.
In San Fernando, Romblon, two persons were killed due to landslide according to the police. In Palanas, Masbate, one person drowned while one person died also due to landslide in Labo, Camarines Sur, police said. (Ellalyn V. Ruiz and Francis T. Wakefield)
