Tropical Depression Ofel made its first landfall in Can-avid, Eastern Samar, at 2:30 am on Wednesday, October 14, and started to cross Samar Island.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in a bulletin issued 5 am on Wednesday that Ofel is already in the vicinity of Bobon, Northern Samar.

The tropical depression accelerated and is now moving west-northwest at 20 kilometers per hour (km/h) from the previous 10 km/h.

PAGASA said Ofel would emerge over the Samar Sea on Wednesday morning, then head for the inland seas of Southern Luzon, possibly passing close to or over Masbate, Romblon, Oriental Mindoro, and Occidental Mindoro. After that, it is likely to emerge over the West Philippine Sea on Thursday morning, October 15.

So far, Ofel continues to have maximum winds of 45 km/h and gustiness of up to 55 km/h. The state weather bureau said it is expected to stay a tropical depression while crossing Samar Island and Southern Luzon, but may intensify into a tropical storm after passing through the Mindoro provinces.

Ofel will be bringing rain throughout Wednesday until Thursday morning, said PAGASA in its latest rainfall forecast.

Moderate to heavy rain:
1. Bicol
2. Northern Samar
3. Eastern Samar
4. Samar
5. Marinduque
6. Romblon
7. Quezon
8. Batangas
9. Oriental Mindoro
10. Occidental Mindoro

Light to moderate rain, with at times heavy rain:
1. Rest of Calabarzon
2. Metro Manila
3. Aurora
4. Bataan
5. Pampanga
6. Bulacan

Note that most of Mindanao will also have light to moderate rain – at times heavy – but this is due to the southwest monsoon or hanging habagat, and not Ofel.

Ofel is the Philippines' 15th tropical cyclone for 2020, and the 2nd for October.

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For more information, check the link below.
https://www.rappler.com/nation/weather/tropical-depression-ofel-pagasa-forecast-october-14-2020-5am

It is raining hard now. Keep safe, everyone.

Photo credits to PAG-ASA.