9 areas still under Signal No. 1 as Goring weakens

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 1 remained hoisted over nine areas even as Typhoon Goring weakened while moving over the Philippine Sea, state weather bureau PAGASA said late Monday morning.

According to the latest bulletin, areas under Signal No. 1 are:

• Batanes
• Babuyan Islands
• the northern and eastern portions of mainland Cagayan (Camalaniugan, Pamplona, Gonzaga, Santa Teresita, Baggao, Buguey, Santa Ana, Claveria, Aparri, Ballesteros, Abulug, Sanchez-Mira, Santa Praxedes, Allacapan, Lal-Lo, Lasam, Peñablanca, Iguig, Amulung, Gattaran, Alcala);
• the eastern portion of Isabela (Dinapigue, San Mariano, San Guillermo, Ilagan City, Tumauini, San Pablo, Cabagan, Maconacon, Divilacan, Palanan);
• the northern and central portions of Aurora (Casiguran, Dinalungan, Dilasag, Baler, Dipaculao, Maria Aurora, San Luis)
• Polillo Islands;
• the northern and eastern portions of Camarines Norte (Capalonga, Jose Panganiban, Paracale, Vinzons, Talisay, Daet, Mercedes) including Calaguas Islands;
• the northeastern portion of Camarines Sur (Siruma, Tinambac, Lagonoy, Garchitorena, Caramoan); and
• the northern portion of Catanduanes (Panganiban, Caramoran, Viga, Bagamanoc, Pandan)

PAGASA said intermittent rains or winds with speed of 39 to 61 km/h may be expected over the said areas in at least 36 hours.

“Local winds may be slightly stronger/enhanced in coastal and upland/mountainous areas exposed to winds. Winds are less strong in areas sheltered from the prevailing wind direction,” it said.

“Minimal to minor impacts from strong winds are also possible within any of the areas under Wind Signal No. 1,” PAGASA added.

According to the agency, the northeastern portion of mainland Cagayan may have 50 to 100 mm of rainfall on Monday

On Tuesday, it said Batanes, Babuyan Islands, and the northern portions of mainland Cagayan, Apayao, and Ilocos Norte may have 50 to 100 mm of rainfall.

The agency said forecast rainfall is generally higher in elevated or mountainous areas.

“Under these conditions, flooding and rain-induced landslides are still expected especially in areas that are highly or very highly susceptible to these hazards as identified in hazard maps and in localities that experienced considerable amounts of rainfall for the past several days,” it said.

The southwest monsoon or Habagat is also expected to bring occasional or monsoon rains over the western portions of Central Luzon, Southern Luzon, and Visayas over the next three days.

Meanwhile, PAGASA said a gale warning is raised over the northern and eastern seaboards of Northern Luzon, the eastern seaboards of Central Luzon, the seaboards of Southern Luzon, and the seaboards of Visayas.

“Disruption in civilian maritime activities is expected over these areas (e.g. suspension of sea travel) due to hazardous sea conditions,” it said.

Location

As of 11 a.m., the eye of Goring was estimated at 245 kilometers east-northeast of Casiguran, Aurora. It was moving north-northeastward at 15 km/h packing maximum sustained winds of 155 km/h near the center and gustiness of up to 190 km/h.

PAGASA said Goring may make a close approach to Batanes between Wednesday morning and evening and that a landfall scenario "is not ruled out."

The typhoon is expected to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Thursday morning or afternoon. It will then cross the Taiwan Strait before making landfall over southern China on Friday evening or early Saturday morning.

PAGASA said Goring is forecast to maintain its strength or may slightly weaken further in the next 12 hours due to the upwelling of cooler ocean waters and the onset of dry air intrusion before re-intensifying as it turns northward.

Effects

According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), a total of 7,919 persons or 2,302 families in the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Western Visayas, and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) have been affected by Goring.

Of the total number, 1,948 individuals or 538 families are still in evacuation centers while 359 individuals or 107 families are temporary staying in other areas.

Meanwhile, 665 individuals or 152 families from the Ilocos Region, Calabarzon, and Mimaropa were pre-emptively evacuated.

Data from the agency also show that a total of 58 flooding incidents were recorded in the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, and Western Visayas.

There have been no reports of casualties, injured, or missing persons, the agency said.

In Cagayan, More than 1,000 residents have been displaced due to the effects of Typhoon Goring, according to the report of GMA Regional TV's Jasmin Gabriel-Galban on Unang Balita on Monday. The evacuees include members of the IP community in Gonzaga town.

Ruelie Rapsing, the head of the Cagayan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), said evacuees will be sent home when the weather improves.

“Kung bubuti po at siisplip ang ating araw ay pauwiin na po natin sila. Sila ay nasa pangangalaga po ng kanilang local government units na nagpapakain sa kanila,” Rapsing told Unang Balita in an interview.

(If the weather condition improves and we will see the sun, we may let them go home. They are under the care of their local government units.)

Rapsing said there have been no reports yet of casualties, injuries, or missing individuals due to Goring.

He said the PDRRMO recorded power interruption in some areas on Saturday but this has been addressed on Sunday night. —Joahna Lei Casilao/KBK, GMA Integrated News