ILOILO City – The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) has reassured residents of Region 6 there is a low likelihood that Tropical Storm Leon, which entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Saturday night, October 26, will bring a wind signal to the region.
According to PAGASA, Leon is less likely to make landfall in the Philippines and is currently moving upward in direction.
This differs from Tropical Storm Kristine, which struck the northeastern coast of Luzon and had wider-reaching winds that led to Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) alerts over Panay Island and parts of northern Negros Occidental.
The areas likely to be placed under TCWS No. 1 are in Eastern Visayas and Southern Luzon, should Leon storm shift.
PAGASA Iloilo’s weather specialist, Engr. Ferdinand Rubin Jr., explained on Sunday, October 27, “Leon is movement is upward, unlike Tropical Storm Kristine, which directly impacted Northern Luzon, hitting us with strong winds. Now, we expect Leon to keep at a distance from the Philippine landmass, with a possible landfall in Japan.”
Despite the low chance of a wind signal in Region 6, PAGASA forecasts cloudy skies and light to moderate rains across Iloilo from Sunday to Wednesday, with intermittent rain expected from Thursday through Friday.
“Occasional heavy rains are possible, similar to last week’s pattern of heavy downpours followed by brief intervals,” Rubin added.
Tropical Storm Leon is expected to exit the PAR early Friday morning, Nov. 1. Meanwhile, Rubin advised the public to carry umbrellas or raincoats if venturing outdoors this week and to monitor PAGASA updates on Leon’s developments.
Tropical Storm Kristine recently left a significant impact on the region upon its exit from PAR on October 25.
As of October 26, around 85,367 families, or 333,893 individuals, across 88 cities and municipalities in 1,012 barangays were affected.
Currently, 402 families (1,502 people) remain in evacuation centers, while 1,030 families (3,956 people) have sought shelter elsewhere.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office 6 has provided aid to affected families, distributing 18,486 family food packs and 354 non-food items, totaling assistance worth P15,472,479.30./PN
