By Ma. Cristina Arayata | Philippine News Agency
MANILA – Some areas in Luzon are still under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) even if Severe Tropical Storm (STS) Maring already exited the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), a weather forecaster said Tuesday (Oct. 12) noon.
“As of 11:00 a.m., ‘Maring’ is already outside PAR,” Ariel Rojas of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).
It was last tracked 345 kilometers west of Calayan, Cagayan, moving westward at 20 kph. It has maintained its strength, packing maximum sustained winds of 100 kph near the center, gustiness of up to 125 kph.
Damaging gale to storm-force winds will prevail in areas under TCWS No. 2: Batanes, Cagayan including Babuyan Islands, the northern portion of Isabela (Palanan, Divilacan, Maconacon, Ilagan City, Tumauini, Cabagan, San Pablo, Santa Maria, Santo Tomas, Delfin Albano, Quirino, Gamu, Roxas, Mallig, Quezon), Apayao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Abra, Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur.
TCWS No. 1, on the other hand, has been hoisted over the rest of Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Ifugao, Benguet, La Union, Pangasinan, Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Zambales, Pampanga, Bulacan, the northern portion of Bataan (Samal, Morong, Dinalupihan, Abucay, Orani, Hermosa), and the northern portion of Quezon (General Nakar, Infanta) including Polillo Islands.
Strong winds will continue to prevail over these areas.
Rojas said that since “Maring” is enhancing the southwest monsoon, Western Visayas, Mimaropa, and Calabarzon will experience monsoon rains.
The enhanced southwest monsoon will also cause gusty conditions reaching strong to gale-force in strength over Visayas, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte, Agusan del Norte, Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental, Camiguin, Zamboanga del Norte, and the rest of Luzon in the next 24 hours.
Heavy to intense rainfall will also continue over Ilocos Region, Benguet, Ifugao, Abra, and Mountain Province.
Moderate to heavy rainfall is expected over Zambales, Bataan, Tarlac, and the rest of the Cordillera Administrative Region. Likewise, light to moderate, with at times heavy rains are likely over Metro Manila, Cagayan Valley, and the rest of Central Luzon.
Rough to high seas will continue to prevail over the seaboards of areas where TCWS No. 2 and 1 are in effect. These conditions are risky for all types of sea vessels.
Gale warning remains in effect over the western seaboard of Central Luzon where TCWS was not hoisted, the seaboards of Southern Luzon and the Visayas, and the western, eastern, and northern seaboards of Mindanao.
Moderate to rough seas still prevail over the remaining seaboards of the country. These conditions are risky for those using small seacraft, PAGASA said. (PNA) – bny
