PAGASA: Tropical Depression Wilma moving slowly due to high pressure area

MANILA, Philippines – A high pressure area over mainland Asia is influencing the movement of Tropical Depression Wilma, causing it to move slowly and to linger off the coast of Eastern Samar, the weather bureau explained on Friday afternoon, December 5.

Wilma was located 180 kilometers east of Borongan City, Eastern Samar, as of 4 pm on Friday. The tropical depression is slowly moving west toward the region of Eastern Visayas.

It still has maximum sustained winds of 45 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 55 km/h, and is likely to stay within the tropical depression category.

In a briefing past 5 pm on Friday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Wilma could make its first landfall in Eastern Visayas between late Friday evening or Saturday morning, December 6.

Afterwards, the tropical depression may cross the rest of the Visayas until Sunday, December 7; emerge over the Sulu Sea; and move over the northern portion of Palawan by Monday morning, December 8.

As Wilma lingers offshore, moderate to intense rain will continue to hit at least 18 provinces in the next 24 hours, most of them in the Visayas. Floods and landslides remain likely.

Here is PAGASA’s updated rainfall outlook for the next three days, issued at 5 pm on Friday:

Friday afternoon, December 5, to Saturday afternoon, December 6

• Heavy to intense rain (100-200 millimeters): Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Samar, Biliran, Leyte, Masbate
• Moderate to heavy rain (50-100 mm): Southern Leyte, Cebu, Bohol, Negros Oriental, Negros Occidental, Siquijor, Aklan, Capiz, Iloilo, Guimaras, Surigao del Norte, Dinagat Islands

Saturday afternoon, December 6, to Sunday afternoon, December 7

• Heavy to intense rain (100-200 mm): Romblon, Sorsogon, Masbate, Aklan, Capiz
• Moderate to heavy rain (50-100 mm): Northern Samar, Samar, Biliran, Leyte, Cebu, Bohol, Negros Oriental, Negros Occidental, Antique, Iloilo, Guimaras

Sunday afternoon, December 7, to Monday afternoon, December 8

• Moderate to heavy rain (50-100 mm): Occidental Mindoro, Palawan, Antique

Meanwhile, these are the areas under Signal No. 1 due to Wilma’s strong winds, as of 5 pm on Friday:

• southern part of Sorsogon (Matnog, Bulan, Irosin, Santa Magdalena, Bulusan, Barcelona, Magallanes, Juban, Casiguran, Gubat)
• mainland Masbate including Ticao Island
• Northern Samar
• Eastern Samar
• Samar
• Biliran
• Leyte
• Southern Leyte
• Cebu including Bantayan and Camotes Islands
• Bohol
• northern and central parts of Negros Occidental (Sagay City, Escalante City, Toboso, Calatrava, Enrique B. Magalona, Victorias City, Manapla, Cadiz City, Bacolod City, Talisay City, Silay City, Don Salvador Benedicto, San Carlos City, Murcia, Bago City, La Carlota City, La Castellana, Moises Padilla, Valladolid, Pulupandan, San Enrique, Pontevedra, Hinigaran, Isabela, Binalbagan, Himamaylan City, Kabankalan City)
• Siquijor
• northern and central parts of Negros Oriental (Guihulngan City, Canlaon City, Vallehermoso, La Libertad, Jimalalud, Tayasan, Ayungon, Bindoy, Manjuyod, Bais City, Pamplona, Tanjay City, Amlan, San Jose, Dumaguete City, Valencia, Sibulan, Bacong, Mabinay)
• eastern part of Iloilo (San Dionisio, Estancia, Batad, Carles, Concepcion, Ajuy, Sara, Balasan, Lemery, Barotac Viejo, San Rafael, Passi City, San Enrique, Anilao, Banate, Dingle, Barotac Nuevo, Mina, Pototan, New Lucena, Santa Barbara, Pavia, Iloilo City, Leganes, Zarraga, Dumangas, Dueñas,
  Bingawan)
• eastern and central parts of Capiz (Pilar, President Roxas, Panay, Pontevedra, Ma-ayon, Cuartero, Dumarao, Dao, Panitan, Roxas City, Ivisan, Sigma, Sapi-an, Mambusao, Dumalag)
• Guimaras
• Surigao del Norte including Siargao Island and Bucas Grande Island
• Dinagat Islands
• northern part of Surigao del Sur (Carrascal, Cantilan, Madrid, Carmen, Lanuza)
• northern part of Agusan del Norte (Kitcharao, Jabonga, Santiago, Tubay, Cabadbaran City, Remedios T. Romualdez, Magallanes)
• Camiguin

In areas not under a tropical cyclone wind signal, strong to gale-force gusts are still possible due to the northeast monsoon or amihan.

Friday, December 5

• most of Luzon and Visayas

Saturday, December 6

• most of Luzon, Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula

Sunday, December 7

• most of Luzon, Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Misamis Occidental

In addition, Wilma and the northeast monsoon are still causing dangerous conditions in the country’s seaboards.

Up to very rough seas (travel is risky for all vessels)

• Northern and eastern seaboards of Catanduanes; eastern seaboards of Albay and Sorsogon; northern seaboard of Northern Samar – waves up to 5.5 meters high
• Northern and eastern seaboards of Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur; eastern seaboard of Northern Samar – waves up to 5 meters high
• Seaboard of Isabela; northern seaboard of Aurora; northern and eastern seaboards of Polillo Islands; eastern seaboard of Eastern Samar – waves up to 4.5 meters high

Up to rough seas (small vessels should not venture out to sea)

• Eastern seaboards of Cagayan; remaining seaboards of Aurora, Dinagat Islands, and Siargao-Bucas Grande Islands – waves up to 4 meters high
• Eastern seaboards of Batanes, Babuyan Islands, and Surigao del Sur; western seaboards of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, and La Union – waves up to 3.5 meters high

Up to moderate to rough seas (small vessels should take precautionary measures or avoid sailing, if possible)

• Western seaboards of Pangasinan, Bataan, Batangas, Occidental Mindoro including Lubang Island, and Palawan; seaboards of Cuyo Islands; western seaboard of Antique; southern seaboards of Davao Oriental and Davao Occidental – waves up to 2.5 meters high
• Remaining seaboards of Palawan, Quezon, Camarines Sur, and Antique; seaboards of Romblon, Marinduque, Oriental Mindoro, and Aklan; northwestern seaboard of Masbate including Burias Islands – waves up to 2 meters high

Wilma is the Philippines’ 23rd tropical cyclone for 2025, and the first for December. The weather bureau expects one or two tropical cyclones to form within or enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility during the month.

Shear line

Aside from Wilma, PAGASA continues to monitor the effects of the shear line, especially in Bicol. Affected provinces should watch out for floods and landslides.

Friday afternoon, December 5, to Saturday afternoon, December 6

• Heavy to intense rain (100-200 mm): Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Albay, Sorsogon
• Moderate to heavy rain (50-100 mm): Romblon, Camarines Norte

Saturday afternoon, December 6, to Sunday afternoon, December 7

• Heavy to intense rain (100-200 mm): Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Albay
• Moderate to heavy rain (50-100 mm): Quezon, Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque

Sunday afternoon, December 7, to Monday afternoon, December 8

• Moderate to heavy rain (50-100 mm): Cagayan, Isabela, Aurora, Quezon, Laguna, Batangas, Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Camarines Norte

The shear line refers to the point where cold air from the northeast monsoon converges with the easterlies or warm winds from the Pacific Ocean. – Rappler.com