ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - The City Disaster Coordinating Council (CDCC) has flashed an alarm and alerted all residents in the coastal and low-lying areas against the occurrence of tidal waves and flashfloods amid the heavy downpour.
The alarm came after the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) has issued a weather bulletin about the active low pressure area (Alpa) that has intensified into tropical storm "Butchoy."
"Butchoy" was monitored Wednesday at 510 kilometers east of Mindanao with a maximum wind of 63 kilometers per hour near the center.
With west-north-west movement, the storm is expected to be at 530 kilometers east of Northern Mindanao by Saturday.
Tropical storm "Butchoy" is expected to induce the southwest monsoon and bring rains over Visayas and Mindanao. The heavy downpour may trigger flashfloods and landslides in low-lying areas and near mountain slopes.
CDCC chairman Mayor Celso Lobregat said although Zamboanga City is on the south-western part of Mindanao