Typhoon "Ulysses" (international name "Vamco") is seen to further intensify as it nears landfall over Calaguas Islands in Camarines Norte within three hours or over Polillo Islands and mainland Quezon province between 11 p.m. Wednesday and 2 a.m. on Thursday and between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m., respectively.
As of 4 p.m., Wednesday, “Ulysses” was at 60 kilometers east-northeast of Daet, Camarines Norte, with maximum sustained winds of 140 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of up to 195 kph.
Signal No. 3
In its 5 p.m. severe weather bulletin, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) raised tropical cyclone wind signal number 3 over Metro Manila, southern portion of Quirino (Maddela, Nagtipunan), southern portion of Nueva Vizcaya (Alfonso Castaneda, Dupax Del Norte, Dupax Del Sur), Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija, Aurora, Tarlac, Zambales, Bataan, Pampanga, Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite, Laguna, northern and central portions of Quezon (General Nakar, Infanta, Real, Mauban, Sampaloc, Lucban, Tayabas City, Sariaya, Candelaria, Dolores, Tiaong, San Antonio, Lucena City, Pagbilao, Atimonan, Padre Burgos, Unisan, Agdangan, Gumaca, Plaridel, Pitogo, Macalelon, Lopez, General Luna, Catanauan, Buenavista, Guinayangan, Tagkawayan, Calauag, Quezon, Alabat, Perez) including Polillo Islands, Batangas, Catanduanes, Camarines Norte, northern portion of Camarines Sur (Del Gallego, Ragay, Lupi, Sipocot, Cabusao, Bombon, Calabanga, Tinambac, Siruma, Goa, Lagonoy, San Jose, Garchitorena, Presentacion, Caramoan).
Signal No. 2
Signal number 2 was also hoisted over the rest of Quirino, the rest of Nueva Vizcaya, southern portion of Benguet (Bokod, Itogon, Tublay, La Trinidad, Sablan, Baguio City, Tuba), southern portion of La Union (Burgos, Naguilian, Bauang, Caba, Aringay, Tubao, Pugo, Santo Tomas, Rosario, Agoo), the rest of Quezon, Marinduque, northern portion of Occidental Mindoro (Paluan, Abra de Ilog) including Lubang Island, northern portion of Oriental Mindoro (Pola, Victoria, Naujan, Baco, Calapan City, San Teodoro, Puerto Galera), the rest of Camarines Sur, Albay, Sorsogon, and Burias and Ticao Islands.
Signal No, 1
Signal number 1 was also up in Isabela, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, the rest of Benguet, Abra, Ilocos Sur, the rest of La Union, the rest of Occidental Mindoro, the rest of Oriental Mindoro, Romblon, the rest of Masbate, Northern Samar, northern portion of Samar (Santo Nino, Almagro, Tagapul-An, Tarangnan, Calbayog City, Santa Margarita, Gandara, Pagsanghan, San Jorge, San Jose de Buan, Matuguinao), and northern portion of Eastern Samar (Maslog, Dolores, Oras, San Policarpo, Arteche, Jipapad).
Based on the latest typhoon track, PAGASA said “Ulysses” may pass across the seas north of Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur between Wednesday afternoon and evening.
The center of “Ulysses” will likely make landfall or close approach in the vicinity of Calaguas Islands within three hours, then over Polillo Islands and mainland Quezon province between Wednesday and early Thursday morning.
Afterwards, Ulysses will cross Central Luzon and emerge over the western seaboard of Zambales by Thursday morning.
PAGASA weather specialist Chris Perez said Ulysses will be closest to Metro Manila between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. on Thursday, which will be about 40 kilometers north from the center of the typhoon.
However, PAGASA is still not ruling out the possible direct approach of the center of Ulysses over Metro Manila owing to the area of probability of the typhoon's center track, Perez pointed out.
It will likely to leave the Luzon landmass via Zambales around 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., he added.
Destructive winds and intense with at times torrential rainfall associated with the region of the eyewall and inner rainbands of the typhoon may persist over Camarines Sur and Camarines Norte until Wednesday evening and over Aurora and the northern portion of Quezon Wednesday evening through early Thursday morning.
Throughout the passage of the typhoon, destructive typhoon-force winds will be experiencing in areas under signal number 3, damaging gale- to storm-force winds in areas under signal number 2, and strong breeze to near gale conditions in areas under signal number 1.
The rest of Northern Luzon will be experiencing strong breeze to gale-force winds due to the surge of northeast monsoon or "amihan."
Between Wednesdsay evening and early Thursday morning, heavy to intense with at times torrential rains may prevail across Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon, Aurora, Bulacan, Pampanga, and Bataan.
Moderate to heavy with at times intense rains may also affect Cordillera Administrative Region, mainland Cagayan Valley, Catanduanes, Marinduque, the northern portion of Oriental and Occidental Mindoro, and the rest of Central Luzon.
Light to moderate with at times heavy rains are expected over the rest of Luzon and Visayas.