PAGASA: Signal No. 3 still raised over 19 areas in Luzon due to Ulysses

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 3 remained hoisted over 19 areas in Luzon as Typhoon Ulysses continued to intensify as it threatened the Quezon-Aurora area, PAGASA said in its latest severe weather bulletin.

Under TCWS No. 3 as of 5 p.m. are:

• the southern portion of Quirino (Maddela, Nagtipunan)
• the southern portion of Nueva Vizcaya (Alfonso Castaneda, Dupax Del Norte, Dupax Del Sur)
• Pangasinan
• Nueva Ecija
• Aurora
• Tarlac
• Zambales
• Bataan
• Pampanga
• Bulacan
• Metro Manila
• Rizal
• Cavite
• Laguna
• the northern and central portions of Quezon (General Nakar, Infanta, Real, Mauban, Sampaloc, Lucban, Tayabas City, Sariaya, Candelaria, Dolores, Tiaong, San Antonio, Lucena City, Pagbilao, Atimonan, Padre Burgos, Unisan, Agdangan, Gumaca, Plaridel, Pitogo, Macalelon, Lopez, General Luna, Catanauan, Buenavista, Guinayangan, Tagkawayan, Calauag, Quezon, Alabat, Perez) including Polillo Islands
• Batangas
• Catanduanes
• Camarines Norte
• the northern portion of Camarines Sur (Del Gallego, Ragay, Lupi, Sipocot, Cabusao, Bombon, Calabanga, Tinambac, Siruma, Goa, Lagonoy, San Jose, Garchitorena, Presentacion, Caramoan)

Areas under TCWS No. 2 are:

• the rest of Quirino
• the rest of Nueva Vizcaya
• the southern portion of Benguet (Bokod, Itogon, Tublay, La Trinidad, Sablan, Baguio City, Tuba)
• the southern portion of La Union (Burgos, Naguilian, Bauang, Caba, Aringay, Tubao, Pugo, Santo Tomas, Rosario, Agoo)
• the rest of Quezon
• Marinduque
• the northern portion of Occidental Mindoro (Paluan, Abra de Ilog) including Lubang Island
• the northern portion of Oriental Mindoro (Pola, Victoria, Naujan, Baco, Calapan City, San Teodoro, Puerto Galera)
• the rest of Camarines Sur
• Albay
• Sorsogon
• Burias and Ticao Islands

Meanwhile, the following are under TCWS No. 1:

Luzon

• Isabela
• Kalinga
• Mountain Province
• Ifugao
• the rest of Benguet
• Abra
• Ilocos Sur
• the rest of La Union
• the rest of Occidental Mindoro
• the rest of Oriental Mindoro
• Romblon
• the rest of Masbate

Visayas

• Northern Samar
• the northern portion of Samar (Santo Nino, Almagro, Tagapul-An, Tarangnan, Calbayog City, Santa Margarita, Gandara, Pagsanghan, San Jorge, San Jose de Buan, Matuguinao)
• the northern portion of Eastern Samar (Maslog, Dolores, Oras, San Policarpo, Arteche, Jipapad)

At 4 p.m. the center of the eye of Ulysses was located 60 kilometers east northeast of Daet, Camarines Norte with maximum sustained winds of 140 km per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 195 kph. It is moving westward at 20 kph.

PAGASA said Ulysses will move generally westward throughout the forecast period and pass over the seas north of Camarines provinces between Wednesday afternoon and evening.

The center of Ulysses is forecasted to make landfall or close approach in the vicinity of Calaguas Islands within 3 hours, then over Polillo Islands and mainland Quezon between Wednesday night and Thursday morning.

Afterwards, PAGASA said Ulysses will cross Central Luzon and emerge over the western seaboard of Zambales on Thursday morning.

The weather bureau said Ulysses may reach its peak intensity of 140 to 155 kph prior to landfall. It may also slightly weaken as it crosses mainland Luzon due to frictional effects in the presence of Sierra Madre and Zambales mountain ranges. However, it is likely to remain a typhoon throughout its traverse, PAGASA added.

Hazards

PAGASA said destructive winds and intense, with at times, torrential rainfall associated with the region of the eyewall and inner rainbands of the typhoon will prevail over Camarines Sur and Camarines Norte until Wednesday night, while Aurora and the northern portion of Quezon will experience the weather disturbance from Wednesday night to Thursday morning.

Throughout the passage of Ulysses, destructive typhoon-force winds will prevail in areas under TCWS No. 3, while damaging gale to storm-force winds will be experienced in areas under TCWS No. 2. Strong breeze to near gale conditions, meanwhile, will be experienced in areas under TCWS No. 1.

In other areas, the rest of Northern Luzon will experience strong breeze to gale-force winds due to the surge of the northeast monsoon.

Between Wednesday night and Thursday morning, PAGASA said heavy to intense, with at times, torrential rains will prevail over Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Metro Manila, CALABARZON, Aurora, Bulacan, Pampanga, and Bataan, while moderate to heavy, with at times, intense rains will be experienced over Cordillera Administrative Region, mainland Cagayan Valley, Catanduanes, Marinduque, the northern portion of Mindoro Provinces, and the rest of Central Luzon.

Light to moderate, with at times, heavy rains will also be experienced over the rest of Luzon and Visayas.

PAGASA advised affected residents to prepare for possible flash floods, landslides and sediment-laden streamflows during heavy or prolonged rainfall.

PAGASA also said there is a high risk of storm surge with heights up to 3.0 meters over the coastal areas of Aurora, Quezon including Polillo Islands, Camarines Norte, Catanduanes, and the northern and eastern coastal areas of Camarines Sur, while a storm surge of up to 2.0 m might be experienced over the coastal areas of La Union, Pangasinan, Isabela, Zambales, Bataan, Pampanga, Bulacan, Metro Manila, Cavite, Batangas, northern portions of Mindoro Provinces including Lubang Island, Marinduque, Romblon, Masbate including Ticao and Burias Islands, Albay, and Sorsogon, and the remaining coastal areas of Camarines Sur.

“These storm surges, which may be accompanied by swells and/or breaking waves near the coast, can cause life-threatening and damaging coastal inundation. Moreover, there is also a moderate risk of seiche or storm surge over the coastal areas surrounding Laguna de Bay,” PAGASA said.

Further, within the next 24 hours, rough to very high seas (2.5 to 10.0 m) will be experienced over the seaboards of areas under TCWS and the eastern seaboard of Eastern Samar currently not under TCWS No. 1.

PAGASA said the surge of the northeast monsoon will also bring rough to high seas (3.0 to 6.0 m) over the remaining seaboards of Northern Luzon and rough seas (2.5 to 3.5 m) over the seaboards of Kalayaan Islands.

Moderate to rough seas (1.5 to 2.5 m) will prevail over the western seaboards of Palawan including Calamian Islands, and the eastern seaboards 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