Ulysses intensifies into tropical storm —PAGASA

Tropical Depression Ulysses has intensified into a tropical storm on Monday afternoon, PAGASA said.

In its 5 p.m. severe weather bulletin, the weather agency said Ulysses was placed under tropical storm category at 2 p.m. It is forecasted to reach severe tropical storm category within 24 hours and may reach typhoon category on Wednesday.

PAGASA said the center of Ulysses was located 575 kilometers east of Borongan City, Eastern Samar at 4 p.m. with maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 80 kph. It is moving northwestward at 15 kph.

PAGASA said Ulysses will move generally northwestward on Monday to Tuesday afternoon. Afterwards, it will turn westward and head towards the Bicol Region-Quezon area.

The weather bureau said Ulysses might make landfall over the Bicol Region-Quezon area on Thursday.

Hazards

From Monday to Tuesday morning, PAGASA said light to moderate, with at times, heavy rains may prevail over Eastern Visayas, Bicol Region, and Quezon due to the trough of Ulysses, while moderate to heavy rains will be experienced over Cagayan including Babuyan Islands, Apayao and Ilocos Norte due to the tail-end of a cold front.

“Flooding (including flashfloods), rain-induced landslides, and sediment-laden stream flows (i.e. lahar) may occur during heavy or prolonged rainfall especially in areas that are highly or very highly susceptible to these hazards and/or those that received significant antecedent rainfall from tropical cyclones,” PAGASA warned.

The weather bureau also said Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 may be raised over some localities in the Bicol Region or Eastern Visayas as early as Monday night or Tuesday morning in anticipation of the onset of strong breeze to near gale conditions associated with Ulysses.

Moreover, rough to very rough seas will prevail over the entire seaboards of Northern Luzon, eastern seaboard of Central Luzon and the eastern and western seaboards of Southern Luzon.

Moderate to rough seas, meanwhile, may be experienced over the remaining seaboards of Luzon and the eastern seaboard of Mindanao.

“Mariners of small seacrafts are advised to take precautionary measures when venturing out to sea. Inexperienced mariners should avoid navigating in these conditions,” PAGASA said.—LDF, GMA News