By Ellalyn de Vera Ruiz
A stronger typhoon “Tisoy” (international name “Kammuri”) has made landfall over Gubat, Sorsogon at around 11 p.m. Monday.
Prior to its landfall on Monday night, “Tisoy” gained strength significantly with maximum sustained winds of 175 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of up to 240 kph, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA). It had maximum sustained winds of 150 kph and gusts up to 185 kph on Monday morning.
The eye or center of “Tisoy” is expected to traverse the landmass of Bicol Region and Southern Luzon in the next few hours.
PAGASA said “Tisoy” is currently bringing violent winds and intense to torrential rainfall over Northern Samar, Catanduanes, Albay, Camarines Sur, and Sorsogon. Meanwhile, Camarines Norte and Masbate will be affected by the eyewall in the next two to three hours.
Between Tuesday and Wednesday morning, frequent to continuous heavy to intense with at times isolated torrential rains are expected over Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon, Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, and Romblon, while occasional to frequent heavy rains may prevail in Cagayan Valley, Cordillera Administrative Region, and Calamian Islands.
Intermittent heavy rains are also likely in Aklan, Capiz, and northern Antique.
Signal No. 3 remains hoisted over Catanduanes, Camarines Sur, Albay, Sorsogon, Camarines Norte, Masbate including Ticao, and Burias Islands, Romblon, southern portion of Quezon, Marinduque, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro including Lubang Island Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Northern Samar, northern portion of Eastern Samar, and the northern portion of Samar.
Areas under Signal No. 2 are Metro Manila, Bulacan, Bataan, Tarlac, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, southern Aurora, Rizal, rest of Quezon including Polillo Islands, Calamian Islands, Cuyo Islands, Zambales, Pangasinan, rest of Eastern Samar, rest of Samar, Biliran, Aklan, Capiz, Antique, Iloilo, Guimaras, the northern portion of Negros Occidental, northern Cebu, and Leyte.
Signal No. 1 is still up in southern Isabela, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Benguet, Nueva Vizcaya, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Quirino, rest of Aurora, northern portion of Palawan, rest of Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Bohol, Siquijor, rest of Cebu, Southern Leyte, Dinagat Islands, and Siargao Island.
PAGASA advised residents living in areas identified to be highly or very highly susceptible to flooding and rain-induced landslides to take appropriate actions, coordinate with local disaster risk reduction and management offices, and continue monitoring for official updates.
Likewise, storm surge of more than 3 meters may affect several coastal areas in Albay, Sorsogon, Northern Samar, Catanduanes, Camarines Norte, and Camarines Sur, and up to 3 meters over several coastal areas in Batangas, Quezon, Marinduque, Oriental Mindoro, and Occidental Mindoro.
The weather bureau also warned that sea travel remains risky over the seaboards of areas with tropical cyclone warnings, coastlines of Northern Luzon, western coast of Palawan, and northern and eastern seaboards of Mindanao due to rough sea conditions, which may be dangerous for small sea vessels and other maritime activities.
Gusty conditions may also be experienced in areas in Northern Luzon that are not under any tropical cyclone warnings due to the strong surge of northeast monsoon or “amihan.”
By Tuesday evening, “Tisoy” is expected at 105 km west-northwest of Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro, and by Wednesday evening at 430 km west of Subic, Zambales.
It is estimated at 645 km west of Subic, Zambales or outside the country’s area of responsibility by Thursday evening. (Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz)