By Brian Campued
The low pressure area east of Aurora developed into Tropical Depression Isang and has already made landfall over Casiguran, Aurora on Friday morning, according to the state weather bureau.
In its 11:00 a.m. bulletin, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Isang was located in the vicinity of Casiguran, packing maximum sustained winds of 55 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 90 kph. It is moving westward at 15 kph.
“Relatively mahina po itong bagyo subalit asahan yung mga pag-ulan in many areas of Luzon and Visayas,” PAGASA weather specialist Benison Estareja said in a public briefing.
PAGASA also raised Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 1 in Northern Luzon, Cordillera Administrative Region, Cagayan Valley, and parts of Central Luzon:
- Cagayan
- Isabela
- Quirino
- Nueva Vizcaya
- Apayao
- Kalinga
- Abra
- Mountain Province
- Ifugao
- Benguet
- Ilocos Norte
- Ilocos Sur
- La Union
- Pangasinan
- Aurora
- Northern portion of Nueva Ecija (Lupao, Carranglan, Pantabangan, San Jose City)
“Hindi rin natin inaalis na sa mga susunod natin na bulletins ay magtaas na po tayo ng Wind Signal No. 1 in some areas dito sa may Central Luzon… pero mababa pa ang tiyansa sa ngayon na magtaas tayo ng hanggang Signal No. 2,” Estareja said.
Based on PAGASA’s track forecast, Estareja said Isang will move generally westward and traverse Northern Luzon in the next 12 hours.
“Possible pagsapit po mamayang gabi ay nasa may coastal waters na po ito ng La Union and Pangasinan,” he added.
Isang may also intensify into a tropical storm by Saturday morning, Aug. 23, before exiting the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) on the same day.
The tropical depression will also bring up to 200 mm of rainfall (heavy to intense) over La Union, Pangasinan, Benguet, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, Aurora, Zambales, and Bataan until Saturday noon.
Up to 100 mm of rainfall (moderate to heavy) is also expected over Metro Manila, Ifugao, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Pampanga, Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna, Quezon, Camarines Norte, and Camarines Sur during the same forecast period.
Isang will also enhance the southwest monsoon (habagat), which will bring heavy to intense rains in Occidental Mindoro and moderate to heavy rains in Cavite, Batangas, Marinduque, Romblon, Oriental Mindoro, and Palawan, also until Saturday noon.
“‘Yong impacts po kapag mayroon tayong hanggang 200 millimeters na dami ng ulan, may mangilan-ngilan po na mga lugar na posibleng magkaroon ng mga pagbaha, hindi lang necessarily ‘yong mga nasa low-lying areas,” Estareja explained.
“At dahil marami dito ‘yong mga mountainous areas, ‘yong hanggang 200 millimeters na dami ng ulan ay posibleng mag-cause ng mga pagguho ng lupa,” he added.
Meanwhile, the low pressure area (LPA) being monitored east of southeastern Mindanao outside the PAR still has a low chance of tropical cyclone formation but is possible to bring rains over the eastern section of Visayas and Mindanao.
-jpv
