Tropical depression to threaten Philippines with flooding through Wednesday night
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Residents of the Philippines will have to remain vigilant for flash flooding and mudslides as a tropical depression tracks across the country into Wednesday night.
"The main threat from the depression will be isolated flooding, but there can some gusty winds as it remains on the cusp of tropical storm strength," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dave Houk.
While the depression is being called Samuel in the Philippines, it has not officially been given a name by the Japanese Meteorological Agency and is still referred to as Tropical Depression 33W.
The storm unloaded downpours on Visayas, northern Mindanao and southern Luzon through the day on Wednesday as it tracked westward across the country.
Samuel produced widespread rainfall of 25-75 mm (1-3 inches) with several areas seeing up to 125 mm (5 inches) of rainfall within a 24-hour period.
Cuyo Island was one of the hardest hit area's as torrential rain fell on island on Wednesday. Rainfall totaled more than 225 mm (9 inches) in only 9 hours.
Flooding, travel disruptions and school closures were all reported throughout central parts of the Philippines on Wednesday.
While conditions will improve across much of the Philippines on Wednesday night, Samuel will cross Palawan bringing one last round of downpours and gusty winds before tracking into the South China Sea on Thursday.
In addition to the risk for flooding and locally damaging winds, seas will also be rough around the storm, creating hazards for boaters.
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After affecting the Philippines, AccuWeather meteorologists project that the storm may strengthen further over the South China Sea before making landfall in southern Vietnam this weekend.
The storm will either be a strong tropical storm or minimal typhoon at this time.
The site of Sunday's deadly landfall in south-central Vietnam will once again be threatened with flooding rain and strong winds.
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