Small vessels advised: Avoid going out to sea

CEBU, Philippines - The state weather bureau yesterday advised fishing boats and other small seacrafts not to venture into the sea due to the bad weather.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration likewise advised that larger sea vessels should stay alert always because of the huge waves.

The Philippine Coast Guard Station Cebu also barred 30 vessels, 40 rolling cargo ships, and nine motorbancas from leaving the ports of Cebu.

Sea transportation was prohibited either at Pier 1, Pier 2, Hagnaya, Naga, Liloan, Santander, Bato, Pilar, Tangil or in Toledo City, resulting to 182 stranded passengers.

PAGASA said that in its gale warning, the seaboards of Visayas and Surigao provinces (Samar, Leyte, Guimaras, Iloilo, Aklan, Negros, Cebu, Surigao, Dinagat and Siargao) will have a sea condition that is rough to very rough with wave length of 3.4 meters to 4.5 meters.

These areas will have cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and a wind force of 52 to 63 miles per hour or 28 to 34 knots. — (FREEMAN)