TCWS No. 1 over Kalayaan Islands as TD Romina moves northwest

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 is in effect over the Kalayaan Islands as Tropical Depression Romina moves northwest.

As of Sunday evening, Romina was located 165 kilometers west southwest of Pag-asa Island, Kalayaan, Palawan, outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility, moving northwest at 25 kph.

The tropical depression currently has maximum sustained winds of 55 kph near its center and gusts of up to 70 kph.

Romina may intensify into a tropical storm by Monday morning, December 23, but could weaken back into a tropical depression on Monday evening.

PAGASA warned of heavy to intense rainfall (100 to 200 mm) in Palawan from Sunday night to Monday evening.

Moderate to heavy rainfall (50 to 100 mm) is expected in several other provinces including Quezon, Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Catanduanes, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Albay, Sorsogon, Masbate, Antique, Aklan, Capiz, Iloilo, Guimaras, and Northern Samar during the same period.

Very rough seas with waves up to 4.5 meters are possible in the seaboards of Batanes, Babuyan Islands, Ilocos Norte, and Kalayaan Islands, making sea travel risky.

PAGASA no longer expects to raise Signal No. 2 for Kalayaan Islands as Romina is projected to move away and head for the eastern coast of Vietnam, possibly weakening further into a remnant low.