The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said that as of 4 A.M. Thursday, the center of the eye of the typhoon was located in the vicinity of San Antonio, Nueva Ecija.
Packing winds of 155 km/h near the center and gustiness of up to 255 km/h, the typhoon was moving west northwestward at 25 km/h.
Based on the Severe Weather Bulletin No. 19, "Ulysses” will continue crossing the landmass of Central Luzon.
PAGASA said the typhoon is forecast to emerge over the western seaboard of Zambales Thursday morning.
"The typhoon is forecast to slightly weaken while crossing Central Luzon due to frictional effects in the presence of the Sierra Madre and Zambales Mountain Ranges. However, it is likely to remain a typhoon during its traverse of the Luzon landmass," read the bulletin.
"On the forecast track, the typhoon may exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility Friday morning or afternoon," it added.
Areas with tropical cyclone wind signal are the following:
Signal No. 3: The southern portion of Quirino (Maddela, Nagtipunan), the southern portion of Nueva Vizcaya (Alfonso Castaneda, Dupax Del Norte, Dupax Del Sur), Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija, Aurora, Tarlac, Zambales, Bataan, Pampanga, Bulacan, Metro Manila, Rizal, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, and the northern and central portions of Quezon (San Antonio, Tiaong, Dolores, Candelaria, Sariaya, Lucena City, Pagbilao, Tayabas City, Lucban, Mauban, Sampaloc, Padre Burgos, Atimonan, Perez, Alabat, Plaridel, Agdangan, Real, Infanta, General Nakar) including Polillo Islands.
Signal No. 2: The central and southern portions of Isabela (Mallig, Quirino, Ilagan, Roxas, Burgos, Gamu, Palanan, San Mariano, Dinapigue, San Guillermo, Benito Soliven, Naguilian, Reina Mercedes, Luna, San Manuel, Aurora, Cabatuan, Cauayan City, San Mateo, Alicia, Angadanan, Echague, Jones, San Agustin, San Isidro, Ramon, Santiago City, Cordon), the rest of Quirino, the rest of Nueva Vizcaya, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Benguet, the southern portion of Ilocos Sur (Cervantes, Quirino, San Emilio, Lidlidda, Santiago, Banayoyo, Candon City, Galimuyod, Gregorio Del Pilar, Salcedo, Santa Lucia, Santa Cruz, Sigay, Suyo, Tagudin, Alilem, Sugpon), La Union, the northern portion of Occidental Mindoro (Paluan, Abra de Ilog) including Lubang Island, the northern portion of Oriental Mindoro (Pola, Victoria, Naujan, Baco, Calapan City, San Teodoro, Puerto Galera), Marinduque, the rest of Quezon, Camarines Norte, and the western portion of Camarines Sur (Pamplona, Pasacao, Libmanan, Cabusao, Sipocot, Lupi, Ragay, Del Gallego).
Signal No. 1: The rest of Isabela, Kalinga, Abra, the rest of Ilocos Sur, the rest of Occidental Mindoro, the rest of Oriental Mindoro, Romblon, the rest of Camarines Sur, the western portion of Albay (Tabaco City, Malilipot, Guinobatan, Pio Duran, Ligao City, Oas, Polangui, Tiwi, Malinao, Libon), and Burias Island
According to PAGASA, destructive winds and heavy to intense, with at times torrential rainfall associated with the region of inner rainbands and eyewall of the typhoon, will be experienced over the central and southern portions of Aurora, the northern portion of Quezon including Polillo Islands, Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, Tarlac, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Zambales, Bataan, Metro Manila, and Rizal within the next three hours.
It added that moderate to heavy damage to infrastructure and vegetation is expected.