Quinta intensifies into a typhoon; makes landfall over Albay and Quezon

Tropical Cyclone Quinta (international name Molave) intensified into a typhoon on Sunday, a few hours before making landfall over San Miguel Island in Albay's Tabaco City at 6:10 p.m., over Malinao, Albay at 6:50 p.m., and over San Andres, Quezon at 10:30 p.m.

Storm signals have been hoisted in parts of Luzon and the Visayas, including Signal No. 2 for the entire Metro Manila.

WALANG PASOK: Class cancellations for Oct. 26, 2020

According to state weather bureau PAGASA's afternoon weather bulletin, Quinta intensified into a Typhoon at 2 p.m. on Sunday and had 130 kilometer-per-hour winds which could gust up to 160 kph.

In its 2 a.m. update on Monday, the state weather bureau said that the storm will continue its westward track at 30 km/h over southern Luzon and is set to make landfall two more times in the early hours of Monday: in Torrijos, Marinduque and later in Oriental Mindoro.

At 1 a.m. on Monday, the eye of the typhoon was located over the coastal waters of Torrijos, with maximum sustained winds of 125 km/h near the center and gustiness of up to 165 km/h.

Tropical wind cyclone signals have been hoisted over several areas of the country.

TCWS 3

• Luzon
  • Camarines Norte,
  • the western portion of Camarines Sur (Del Gallego, Ragay, Lupi, Sipocot, Libmanan, Cabusao, Magarao, Canaman, Gainza, Pamplona, Pasacao, Camaligan, Milaor, San Fernando, Minalabac, Bula, Balatan, Bato), 
  • Burias Island,
  • the southern portion of Quezon (Mauban, Sampaloc, Lucban, Candelaria, Dolores, Tiaong, San Antonio, Sariaya, Tayabas City, Lucena City City, Pagbilao, Atimonan, Padre Burgos, Agdangan, Unisan, Plaridel, Gumaca, Pitogo, Macalelon, General Luna, Catanauan, Mulanay, San Francisco, San Andres, San Narciso, Buenavista, Lopez, Guinayangan, Calauag, Tagkawayan, Quezon, Alabat, Perez),
  • Batangas,
  • the southern and eastern portions of Laguna (Paete, Kalayaan, Lumban, Cavinti, Luisiana, Majayjay, Liliw, Rizal, Nagcarlan, San Pablo City, Alaminos, Magdalena, Pagsanjan),
  • the northern portion of Romblon (Romblon, San Agustin, San Andres, Calatrava, Corcuera, Banton, Concepcion),
  • Marinduque,
  • the northern portion of Oriental Mindoro (Bongabong, Bansud, Gloria, Pinamalayan, Socorro, Pola, Naujan, Naujan Lake, Victoria, Calapan City, Baco, San Teodoro, Puerto Galera), and
  • the northern portion of Occidental Mindoro (Abra de Ilog, Paluan, Mamburao, Santa Cruz, Sablayan) including Lubang Island

TCWS 2

• Luzon
  • Catanduanes,
  • the rest of Camarines Sur,
  • Albay,
  • the western portion of Sorsogon (Donsol, Pilar, Castilla, Sorsogon City, Casiguran, Juban, Magallanes, Bulan, Irosin),
  • the northern portion of mainland Masbate (Uson, Mobo, Masbate City, Baleno, Aroroy, Balud, Mandaon, Milagros) including Ticao Island,
  • the rest of Quezon including Polillo Islands,
  • Rizal,
  • Cavite,
  • the rest of Laguna,
  • Metro Manila,
  • the southern portion of Bulacan (Norzagaray, Angat, San Rafael, Baliuag, Pulilan, Calumpit, Hagonoy, Paombong, Malolos City, Plaridel, Bustos, San Jose del Monte City, Santa Maria, Pandi, Guiguinto, Balagtas, Bulacan, Bocaue, Meycauayan City, Obando, Marilao),
  • the southern portion of Pampanga (Lubao, Sasmuan, Macabebe, Masantol, Minalin, Apalit),
  • Bataan,
  • the rest of Romblon,
  • the rest of Oriental Mindoro,
  • the rest of Occidental Mindoro, and
  • Calamian Islands
• Visayas
  • The extreme northern portion of Antique (Caluya)

TCWS 1

• Luzon
  • The rest of Sorsogon,
  • the rest of Masbate,
  • the southern portion of Aurora (Dingalan, San Luis),
  • the southern portion of Nueva Ecija (Gabaldon, Laur, Palayan City, General Tinio, Cabanatuan City, Aliaga, Zaragoza, Jaen, San Antonio, Santa Rosa, Peñaranda, Gapan City, San Leonardo, San Isidro, Cabiao),
  • the southern portion of Tarlac (La Paz, Tarlac City, San Jose, Concepcion, Capas, Bamban),
  • the rest of Bulacan,
  • the rest of Pampanga,
  • the central and southern portion of Zambales (Iba, Botolan, Cabangan, San Felipe, San Narciso, San Antonio, San Marcelino, Castillejos, Subic, Olongapo City), and
  • the northern portion of Palawan (El Nido, Taytay) including Cuyo Islands
•  Visayas
  • The rest of the northern portion of Antique (Laua-An, Barbaza, Tibiao, Culasi, Sebaste, Pandan, Libertad),
  • Aklan,
  • Capiz,
  • the northern portion of Iloilo (Lemery, Sara, San Dionisio, Batad, Estancia, Carles, Balasan),
  • the northern portion of Samar (Calbayog City, Santo Nino, Almagro, Tagapul-An), and
  • the western portion of Northern Samar (Silvino Lobos, San Roque, Mondragon, Lope de Vega, Catarman, Bobon, San Jose, Rosario, Lavezares, Biri, Allen, Victoria, San Isidro, San Antonio, Capul, San Vicente)

PAGASA also said that authorities are monitoring Ipo Dam in Norzagaray, Bulacan, as the water level has reached 101.03 meters, just above its normal high water level of 101 meters. 

AFP on alert

In a statement, Armed Forces spokesperson Major General Edgard Arevalo said that AFP Chief General Gilbert Gapay has directed all AFP Ground Commanders in the path of the storm "to exercise all precautions necessary" to keep AFP personnel, equipment and assets safe.

Gapay also ordered unit commanders to activate their disaster response teams.

"They should be prepared to deploy and assist local government units and other relevant agencies in the preventive evacuation or force evacuation as may be needed by our countrymen. Commanders are also enjoined, that in such deployments, their personnel should adhere to minimum health protocol," Arevalo added. — DVM/BM, GMA News