Fair weather in Cebu as Tino exits PAR

Local

CEBU and most parts of the Visayas can expect fair weather until the weekend following the exit of Typhoon Tino (international name: Kalmaegi) from the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) early Thursday, Nov. 6.

But state meteorologists warned that another weather disturbance—soon to be named “Uwan”—is being monitored over the Pacific and may enter the country by late Friday or early Saturday, with a possibility of strengthening into a typhoon or even a super typhoon in the coming days.

“Sa weekend, expect fair weather pero naay chance gihapon sa pag-ulan due to localized thunderstorms,” said Engineer Al Quiblat, chief of Pagasa Mactan, in an interview. “Wala pa may laing system nakita karon sa Visayas, particularly sa Cebu.”

As of 12:30 a.m. Thursday, Tino exited PAR and was last tracked northwest of Pag-asa Island in Palawan, moving west-northwestward toward Vietnam.

It packed maximum sustained winds of 155 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 190 kph, according to PAGASA’s 5 a.m. bulletin.

Its wide circulation continues to affect the Kalayaan Islands, where a wind signal remains in effect due to the storm’s large radius extending up to 480 kilometers from its center.

The typhoon’s trough may still bring scattered rains over Palawan, Occidental Mindoro, Aurora, and Quezon, but the rest of the country, including Cebu and the Visayas, can expect generally calm weather.

“Nakagawas na sa PAR si Tino,” Quiblat confirmed. “Mas klaro nga fair weather atong ma-experience in the next few days.”

No gale warnings are currently raised, and coastal waters across the country remain slight to moderate, making sea travel generally safe.

Meanwhile, the Pagasa is closely watching a developing tropical storm outside PAR, international name Fung-Wong, which is forecast to enter the Philippine boundary by late Friday or early Saturday, at which point it will be named “Uwan.”

The storm is moving northwestward at 20 kilometers per hour, with maximum sustained winds of 65 kph and gustiness of up to 80 kph, based on the latest weather advisory.

Once inside PAR, Uwan is expected to intensify rapidly while tracking toward Northern or Central Luzon, where a landfall is possible by Monday or Tuesday next week.

“Naa tay gi-monitor nga bagyo nga possible mosulod sa Sabado, and landfall niya either Monday or Tuesday didto sa Northern Luzon,” Quiblat said. “Ang uncertainty cone ani dako pa, pero atong tan-awon kay naa gihapon possibility nga muabot ang epekto hangtod diri kung magbaba ang iyang direksyon.”

Although Cebu remains outside the high-risk area, Pagasa noted that the storm’s broad circulation, spanning up to 550 kilometers from the center, could still bring localized thunderstorms and moderate rains to parts of the Visayas should its track shift southward.

“Before siya muadto sa Northern Luzon, muagi gyud ni siya duol sa Eastern Visayas so ang iyahang uncertainty cone muabot sa Northern Samar,” Quiblat said. “Kung mupataas pa siya ug direksyon, mas safe ta.”

For now, Cebu enjoys a welcome respite after days of torrential rain brought by Typhoon Tino. Clearer skies and light winds are expected to persist through the weekend, though residents are advised to stay vigilant as the new storm develops.

The state weather bureau emphasized that while no significant weather systems are affecting the Visayas, localized thunderstorms may still occur, particularly in the late afternoon or evening.

“At this point, Cebu remains under fair weather,” Quiblat reiterated. “Pero kinahanglan gihapon magbantay kay basin muusab ang iya’ng track or magdala ug epekto.”

The rest of the country, including Metro Manila, will experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.(TGP)