PAGASA: Signal No. 3 still up over 16 Luzon areas due to Kristine

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 3 remains hoisted over 16 areas in Luzon as Severe Tropical Storm Kristine continued to cross the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), PAGASA said on Thursday late morning.

In its 11 a.m. bulletin, the state weather bureau said the following Luzon 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)

Other areas in Luzon are under TCWS No. 2:

• 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

Meanwhile, TCWS No. 1 is in effect 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)
• the northwestern portion of Leyte (Calubian, San Isidro)

PAGASA said Kristine was located in the vicinity of Aguinaldo, Ifugao moving westward at 20 kph with maximum sustained winds of 95 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 115 kph.

The severe tropical storm was expected to cross Northern Luzon over the next 12 hours and may emerge over the waters west of Ilocos Region on Thursday afternoon, according to PAGASA.

It will then move west northwestward over the West Philippine Sea and exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Friday afternoon, it added.

"KRISTINE may slightly weaken while crossing Northern Luzon due to land interaction, with downgrading into a tropical storm not ruled out. However, re-intensification may occur once the tropical cyclone moves over the West Philippine Sea," PAGASA said. — VDV, GMA Integrated News