Signal No. 3 in 16 Luzon areas as Kristine moves to Cordillera

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 3 is raised over 16 areas in Luzon as Severe Tropical Storm Kristine moved to the Cordillera Administrative Region on Thursday morning, state weather bureau PAGASA said.

In its 8 a.m. bulletin, PAGASA said the following areas are under TCWS No. 3:

• The southern portion of Cagayan (Peñablanca, Tuguegarao City, Enrile, Solana, Iguig, Tuao)
• Isabela
• Quirino
• Nueva Vizcaya
• Kalinga
• Mountain Province
• Ifugao
• The southern portion of Abra (Malibcong, Licuan-Baay, Sallapadan, Daguioman, Bucloc, Boliney, Tubo, Luba, Manabo, Bucay, Villaviciosa, Pilar, San Isidro, Peñarrubia)
• Benguet
• The northern and central portions of Aurora (Dilasag, Casiguran, Dinalungan, Dipaculao, Maria Aurora, Baler)
• The northern portion of Nueva Ecija (Carranglan, Lupao, San Jose City, Pantabangan, Guimba, Santo Domingo, Talavera, Llanera, Rizal, Bongabon, Talugtug, Science City of Muñoz, Cuyapo, Nampicuan)
• the northern portion of Tarlac (Mayantoc, San Clemente, Camiling, Santa Ignacia, Gerona, Paniqui, Moncada, San Manuel, Anao, Ramos, Pura, Victoria)
• The northern portion of Zambales (Candelaria, Santa Cruz, Masinloc)
• Pangasinan
• La Union
• The central and southern portions of Ilocos Sur (Cervantes, Quirino, Sigay, Suyo, Alilem, Sugpon, Tagudin, Santa Cruz, Salcedo, Gregorio del Pilar, San Emilio, Lidlidda, Burgos, San Esteban, Santiago, Banayoyo, Galimuyod, City of Candon, Santa Lucia, Nagbukel, Santa Maria, Narvacan)

TCWS No. 2 is hoisted in the following Luzon areas:

• Ilocos Norte
• The rest of Ilocos Sur
• Apayao
• The rest of Abra
• The rest of Cagayan including Babuyan Islands
• The rest of Aurora
• The rest of Nueva Ecija
• Bulacan
• The rest of Tarlac
• Pampanga
• The rest of Zambales
• Bataan
• Metro Manila
• Cavite
• Laguna
• Rizal
• Batangas
• The northern and central portions of Quezon (Lucena City, Pagbilao, Infanta, Tiaong, San Antonio, Candelaria, Lucban, Sampaloc, Sariaya, City of Tayabas, Mauban, Dolores, General Nakar, Real) including Polillo Islands, and Lubang Island

TCWS No. 1 is raised in the following areas in Luzon and the Visayas:

Luzon

• Batanes
• The rest of Quezon
• The rest of Occidental Mindoro
• Oriental Mindoro
• Marinduque
• Romblon
• The northern portion of mainland Palawan (El Nido, Taytay, Araceli, San Vicente, Dumaran, Roxas) including Calamian Islands and Cuyo Islands
• Camarines Norte
• Camarines Sur
• Catanduanes
• Albay
• Sorsogon
• Masbate including Ticao and Burias Islands

Visayas

• Aklan
• Capiz
• Antique including Caluya Islands
• Iloilo
• Bantayan Islands
• Northern Samar
• The northern portion of Samar (Calbayog City, Santo Nino, Almagro, Tagapul-An, San Jorge, Matuguinao, Jiabong, Pagsanghan, City of Catbalogan, Gandara, Motiong, San Jose de Buan, Santa Margarita, Tarangnan, Daram, Zumarraga)
• Biliran, the northern portion of Eastern Samar (Maslog, Jipapad, Arteche, Oras, San Policarpo), and 
• The northwestern portion of Leyte (Calubian, San Isidro)

Track

Kristine was last spotted in the vicinity of Aguinaldo, Ifugao packing maximum sustained winds of 95 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 160 kph.

The severe tropical storm was moving Westward at 20 kph.

“KRISTINE is forecast to cross Northern Luzon over the next 12 hours and may emerge over the waters west of Ilocos Region this afternoon,” PAGASA said.

“KRISTINE will then move west northwestward over the West Philippine Sea and exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) region tomorrow (25 October) afternoon,” it added.

PAGASA said Kristine may slightly weaken while crossing Northern Luzon due to land interaction, adding that the downgrading of Kristine into a tropical storm is not ruled out.

“However, re-intensification may occur once the tropical cyclone moves over the West Philippine Sea,” added PAGASA.

Impact

The number of reported fatalities fatalities in the Bicol Region due to Severe Tropical Storm Kristine has increased to 20, Police Regional Office 5 (PRO-5) said Thursday.

“Ngayong alas siete ng umaga, nakapagtala tayo ng 20 na nasawi po. Ika-clarify natin na itong figure na ito ay subject pa rin ito sa validation ng DILG Management of the Dead and Missing,” PRO-5 chief Police Brigadier General Andre Dizon told Super Radyo dzBB in an interview.

(As of 7 a.m., we recorded 20 deaths. Let's clarify that this figure is still subject to validation by the DILG Management of the Dead and Missing.)

Of the total fatalities in the region, Dizon said seven are reported in Naga, five in Catanduanes, four in Albay, and one each in Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Sorsogon, and Masbate.

The victims died due to drowning, landslides, and fallen trees, according to Dizon.

Four people are also reported missing -- two in Masbate and one each in Camarines Sur and Albay.

A total of 119,488 people or 23,517 were staying in evacuation centers in the region, according to the data from PRO-5.