Typhoon 'Bising' further intensifies, more areas now under Signal No. 1
Tropical cyclone wind signal number 1 was raised over more areas in the eastern part of the country on Saturday morning, April 17, as typhoon "Bising" (international name: "Surigae") continued to rapidly intensify over the Philippine Sea.

In the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration's (PAGASA) severe weather bulletin issued at 5 a.m., Signal No. 1 was hoisted over the central and eastern portions of Sorsogon, eastern portion of Albay, eastern portion of Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Northern Samar, Samar, Eastern Samar, Biliran, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Camotes Islands, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte including Siargao and Bucas Grande Islands, and Surigao del Sur.
PAGASA said Signal No. 1 may also be raised over the eastern portion of Masbate, northern portion of Cebu, and other in Albay and Camarines Sur in the next bulletin to be issued at 11 a.m., in anticipation of the onset of strong breeze to near-gale conditions associated with the approaching typhoon.
As of 4 a.m., the center of the eye of typhoon Bising was estimated at 705 kilometers (km) east of Surigao City, Surigao del Sur or 775 km east of Maasin City, Southern Leyte.
Bising rapidly gained strength and is now packing maximum sustained winds of 175 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 215 kph.
Owing to favorable atmospheric and oceanic conditions, PAGASA said Bising may intensify further and reach its peak intensity at 195 kph to 205 kph, remaining as a typhoon, by Sunday, April 18.
Bising is currently moving west-northwestward at 20 kph.
Typhoon Bising is seen to move generally west-northwestward or northwestward over the Philippine Sea until Sunday afternoon or evening, April 18.
Afterward, PAGASA said the typhoon will slow down and move northward or north-northeastward until Tuesday morning, April 20, before moving north-northwestward over the Philippine Sea east of Northern and Central Luzon.
PAGASA said Bising may bring moderate to heavy with at times intense rains over Eastern Visayas, Sorsogon, Masbate, Albay, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, and Camotes Islands.
"Under these conditions, flooding, including flash floods, and rain-induced landslides may occur especially in areas identified in hazard maps as highly or very highly susceptible to these hazards," it warned.
Based on the current forecast scenario, PAGASA said Signal No. 2 remains the highest level of wind signal that will be hoisted due to Bising.
"However, in the event of a further eastward or westward shift in the current track forecast, highest level of wind signal that will be hoisted for this typhoon may be lower or higher than the current scenario suggests," it pointed out.
Bising may also trigger rough to very rough seas over the eastern seaboards of Bicol region (with waves that may reach 2.5 to 4.5 meters), Eastern Visayas (2.5 to 6.5 m), Caraga (2.5 to 5.5 m) and Davao region (2.5 to 3.0 m).
"Sea travel for all types of sea crafts is risky over these waters," PAGASA advised.