Ursula slightly weakens, but will still bring rains to parts of Luzon

Typhoon Ursula has slightly weakened but will still bring light to heavy rains over some parts of Luzon, weather bureau PAGASA said in an 11 a.m. severe weather bulletin on Thursday.

At a press briefing, PAGASA weather specialist Raymond Ordinario said the following areas are still under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 1:

• Northwestern portion of Occidental Mindoro including Lubang Island (Lubang, Looc, Paluan, Abra de Ilog, Maburao)
• Calamina Islands (Coron, Culion, Busuanga)

Rough sea conditions are expected over the seaboards of areas under TCWS. Sea travel remains risky over these areas, PAGASA warned.

At 10 a.m., PAGASA said Ursula was located at 235 kilometers northwest of Coron, Palawan with maximum sustained winds of 120 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of up to 150 kph moving west northwest at 15 kph.

It added that light to moderate with intermittent heavy rains are still expected over the northern portion of Palawan, including Calamian Islands and Lubang Island.

Meanwhile in Central Luzon, Metro Manila, Rizal, and Northern Quezon, cloudy skies with scattered rains may be experienced.

Residents in these areas are advised to take appropriate measures against potential impact of flooding and rain-induced landslides, especially in areas identified to be highly susceptible to these hazards.

Ursula is forecast to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Saturday morning.

Earlier in the day, the Department of the Interior and Local Government said at least nine people died due to Ursula's onslaught in the Visayas. 

Several flights have also been canceled. — RSJ, GMA News