Tropical Depression Wilma: Slow Storm Poses Greater Flood Danger, Sea Travel Risky Due To 5.5m Waves

A creeping threat from the Pacific has placed a vast swathe of the central Philippines on high alert, as Tropical Depression Wilma inches perilously close to the Eastern Visayas region. The latest bulletin, issued at 5:00 PM on Friday, 05 December 2025, confirms that Wilma has maintained its modest but dangerous strength, prompting immediate warnings across more than a dozen major islands.

The tropical depression was last located approximately 180 km East of Borongan City, Eastern Samar (11.7°N, 127.1°E), moving slowly westward. With maximum sustained winds registered at 45 km/h near the centre and gustiness reaching up to 55 km/h, the storm is expected to make its initial landfall over Eastern Visayas sometime between late Friday evening and Saturday morning.

Experts are warning that its slow pace could lead to a prolonged period of heavy rainfall and subsequent flooding, compounding the minimal to minor threat posed to life and property by the strong winds extending outwards up to 220 km from the core.

Why Tropical Depression Wilma Poses A Threat To Eastern Visayas

The breadth of areas under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 1 underscores the massive impact zone of the storm. This signal indicates that residents in the affected regions should prepare for strong winds ranging from 39 to 61 km/h within the next 36 hours, bringing the threat level to a Beaufort 6 to 7 scale.

In Luzon, the southern portion of Sorsogon—including Matnog and Bulan—as well as mainland Masbate and Ticao Island, are braced for the storm's peripheral effects.

The majority of the warnings, however, are concentrated in the Visayas. Here, a relentless list of provinces has been placed on alert, stretching from the Samars (Northern, Eastern, and Samar proper) and Leyte islands down to the tourism hubs of Cebu (including Bantayan and Camotes Islands) and Bohol.

The alert status sweeps across the northern and central portions of Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental, taking in major cities such as Bacolod and Dumaguete. Even the food baskets of Iloilo and Capiz, along with Guimaras and Siquijor, are included in the danger zone, a clear indication that the storm's wind field is exceptionally large.

The threat extends even further south into Mindanao, where the islands closest to the Visayas are also feeling the pressure. Surigao del Norte, including Siargao and Bucas Grande Islands, Dinagat Islands, the northern portion of Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Norte, and Camiguin have all been told to prepare for the possibility of strong winds.

Adding a layer of complexity to the land-based hazards is the concurrent influence of the Northeast Monsoon.

This weather system is expected to bring strong to gale-force gusts over large areas not even under a wind signal, particularly in exposed coastal and upland areas across most of Luzon and Visayas today, and extending to the Zamboanga Peninsula by Saturday.

The risk of sudden, severe wind gusts means that all residents, even those outside the formal warning zones, must remain vigilant.

Severe Hazard Warnings Issued For Mariners As Tropical Depression Wilma Approaches

For those at sea, the danger presented by Tropical Depression Wilma is perhaps the most immediate and acute. A full Gale Warning remains in effect over the eastern seaboards of both Luzon and the Visayas, with sea travel being deemed exceptionally risky.

The sheer height of the forecast waves is staggering, posing a direct danger to all vessels. The coastal waters around the northern and eastern seaboards of Catanduanes, the eastern seaboards of Albay and Sorsogon, and the northern seaboard of Northern Samar face up to very rough seas of 5.5 m.

This level of wave action renders sea travel risky for all types or tonnage of vessels. Mariners have been issued a stark warning: they must remain in port or immediately seek shelter or a safe harbour until the winds and waves have completely subsided.

Further south, rough seas are also forecast, with waves of up to 4.0 m over the eastern seaboards of Cagayan, Dinagat Islands, and Siargao and Bucas Grande Islands.

For mariners operating small seacrafts, including the crucial motorbancas that serve as the lifeline for many island communities, this danger level is significant. These vessels are being strongly advised not to venture out to sea under these conditions.

The tropical depression is forecast to move west-southwestward before adopting a generally westward track. After its expected landfall in Eastern Visayas, it is then set to traverse the rest of the central islands until Sunday.

It will subsequently emerge over the Sulu Sea before possibly passing over northern Palawan by Monday morning. While Wilma is expected to remain a tropical depression for the time being, authorities warn that further intensification is possible once it reaches the open waters of the West Philippine Sea.

Disaster risk reduction and management offices have been mobilised, and the public is strongly advised to heed all necessary measures to protect life and property. Local officials' instructions regarding evacuation and preparation must be followed diligently, especially for those in areas deemed highly susceptible to the combination of strong winds and heavy rainfall.