Ambo now a Tropical Storm, traverses northwestern Nueva Ecija-eastern Pangasinan area

Ambo weakens to Tropical Storm and is now traversing the northwestern Nueva Ecija-eastern Pangasinan area, PAGASA reported in its Severe Weather Bulletin issued on 2 a.m.

Moderate to heavy with at times intense rains expected over Cordillera Administrative Region, Cagayan Valley, Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, La Union, and Pangasinan. Moderate with at times heavy rains over the rest of Ilocos Region.

The residents in these areas are advised to take appropriate measures, coordinate with local disaster risk reduction and management offices, and continue monitoring for updates, especially the local rainfall or thunderstorm advisories and heavy rainfall warnings from PAGASA Regional Services Divisions (PRSD).

Flooding and rain-induced landslides may occur in highly to very highly susceptible areas during heavy or prolonged rainfall.

Sea travel is risky for all types of seacrafts over the seaboards of areas under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signals (TCWS) No. 2 and No. 1.

Ambo is forecast to continue traversing Luzon before emerging over the coastal waters of Ilocos Region on Sunday morning. It is likely to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Monday afternoon.

As of 1 a.m. on Saturday, the center of Tropical Storm Ambo was estimated in the vicinity of Guimba, Nueva Ecija packing maximum sustained winds of 85 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 140 kph and moving northwestward at 15 kph.

TCWS No. 2 is hoisted over the following areas:

• Babuyan Islands
• the northwestern portion of mainland Cagayan (Santa Praxedes, Claveria, Sanchez Mira, Pamplona, Abulug)
• the southern and western portion of Isabela (Quezon, Mallig, Roxas, Quirino, San Manuel, Burgos, Gamu, Reina Mercedes, Aurora, Luna Cabatuan, Naguilian, Benito Soliven, Cauayan, San Guillermo, Dinapigue, San Mateo, Alicia, Angadanan, Ramon, San Isidro, Echague, Jones, San Agustin, Santiago, Cordon)
• Ilocos Norte
• Ilocos Sur
• Apayao
• Abra
• Kalinga
• Mountain Province
• Ifugao
• Benguet
• La Union
• Nueva Vizcaya
• Nueva Ecija,
• Quirino
• Aurora
• Pangasinan
• Tarlac
• Pampanga
• Bulacan

TCWS No. is raised over the following areas:

• Batanes
• the rest of mainland Cagayan
• the rest of Isabela
• Zambales
• Bataan
• Metro Manila
• Rizal
• Cavite
• the northeastern and northwestern portions of Laguna, (Santa Maria, Mabitac, Pakil, Famy, Siniloan, Pangil, San Pedro City, Biñan City, Santa Rosa City, Cabuyao City)
• the northern portion of Quezon (General Nakar, Infanta, Real) including Polillo Islands.

The public and the disaster risk reduction and management council concerned are advised to take appropriate actions and watch for the next Severe Weather Bulletin to be issued at 5 a.m. on Saturday.  -- BAP, GMA News