By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
After developing into a storm at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, Tropical Depression Salome continues on its west southwestward track over the sea east of Taiwan, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration’s (PAGASA) 5:00 p.m. bulletin.
Salome was last located 215 km north northeast of Itbayat, Batanes, maintaining maximum sustained winds of 55 kph and gustiness of up to 70 kph, as it moves west southwestward at 10 kph.
PAGASA has already hoisted Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 1 in Batanes, the western portion of Babuyan Islands (Calayan Island, Dalupiri Island), and the northwestern portion of Ilocos Norte (Bangui, Pagudpud, Burgos, Pasuquin, Bacarra, Laoag City).
The state weather bureau likewise raised a gale warning over the seaboard of Extreme Northern Luzon, with very rough seas expected over the seaboard of Batanes and the northwestern seaboards of Babuyan Islands. These coastal areas may experience up to 6 and 4.5 meter-high waves, respectively.
Rough seas are also expected over the following coastal waters:
• Up to 4.0 m: The seaboard of Ilocos Norte; the remaining seaboards of Babuyan Islands.
• Up to 3.5 m: The seaboard of Ilocos Sur, the northern seaboard of mainland Cagayan.
• Up to 3.0 m: The western seaboard of Pangasinan; the remaining seaboard of mainland Cagayan.
Over the next 24 hours, TD Salome is forecast to pass close or make landfall over Batanes by Wednesday night or Thursday morning (October 23), eventually passing within proximity of Babuyan Islands and Ilocos Norte by Thursday afternoon.
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