• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) warned on Tuesday of heavy rains in Negros Island from December 19 to 20, due to a shearline and low pressure area.
Moderate to heavy rains, measured at 50 to 100mm, are likely to occur in those days, according to the state weather bureau.
The Office of Civil Defense has warned of a potential lahar hazard flow from Kanlaon Volcano, which may endanger 644,487 residents in 13 cities and municipalities on Negros Island, as some areas near the volcano experienced rainfall.
Citing a hazard map issued by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), the OCD identified those areas as the cities of Bago, La Carlota and Himamaylan and the towns of Pontevedra, Pulupandan, San Enrique, Valladolid, Binalbagan, Hinigaran, Isabela, La Castellana and Moises Padilla – all in Negros Occidental – and Canlaon City in Negros Oriental.
Phivolcs had warned of an increased risk of ashfall turning into lahar as it expects the development of a low-pressure area in the coming weeks.
It said the identified areas are likely to be affected by lahar flow from the estimated three million metric tons of ash deposits generated after the Dec. 9 eruption – a volume that is three times greater than the ash deposits recorded in June.
In an issued advisory, PAGASA advised everyone to take precautionary measures against the impacts associated with the hazards, which include flash floods and landslides.
“This LPA has a high chance of developing into a tropical cyclone in the next 24 hours,”
PAGASA forecaster Rhea Torres disclosed. PAGASA forecasts the rest of Visayas and Mindanao to experience scattered rains and thunderstorms due to the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ).*
