Typhoon "Bising" (international name "Surigae") remains less likely to make landfall but it is still close enough from land to bring stormy weather conditions over Eastern Visayas and Bicol region until Monday, April 19, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said on Sunday, April 18.
In the 11 a.m. severe weather bulletin, typhoon Bising maintained its maximum sustained winds of 215 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 265 kph.
The typhoon will likely maintain its strength Sunday before gradually weakening throughout the remainder of the forecast period, PAGASA said.
The state weather bureau said that the rain bands of Bising could bring moderate to heavy with at times intense rains over Bicol and Eastern Visayas Sunday.
By Monday, Bising may continue to bring moderate to heavy with at times intense rains over Bicol and Northern Samar.
Under these conditions, PAGASA warned that flooding, including flash floods, and rain-induced landslides are likely to occur especially in areas identified in hazard maps as highly or very highly susceptible to these hazards.
As of Sunday noon, Signal No. 2 remains hoisted over Catanduanes, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, and Samar.
Signal No. 1 is still up in the eastern portion of Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Albay, Sorsogon, Masbate including Burias and Ticao Islands, Biliran, Leyte, Southern Leyte, northern portion of Cebu including Bantayan and Camotes Islands, Dinagat Islands, and Siargao and Bucas Grande Islands.
"Tropical cyclone winds of at least strong breeze to near-gale in strength extend outward up to 440 km (kilometers) from the center of the typhoon. Destructive typhoon-force winds extend outward up to 110 km from the center of the typhoon ," PAGASA said.
Based on the current forecast scenario, PAGASA noted that Signal No. 2 remains the highest level of wind signal that will be hoisted due to typhoon Bising.
However, in the event of a further eastward or westward shift in the current track forecast, the highest level of wind signal that will be hoisted for this typhoon may be lower or higher than the current scenario suggests, it said.
In the next 24 hours, typhoon Bising and an enhanced northeasterly surface wind flow may trigger "very rough to very high seas" over the northern and eastern seaboard of Eastern Visayas, with wave heights up to 4.0-12.0 meters (m), rough to very high seas over the eastern seaboard of Luzon (2.5-12.0 m), and rough to very rough seas over the eastern seaboard of Caraga (3.0-5.0 m).
Rough to very rough seas may also prevail over the northern and western seaboards of Northern Luzon (2.5-5.0 m) and rough seas over the eastern seaboard of Davao Region (2.5-3.5 m).
PAGASA advised that sea travel remains risky over these waters.
Typhoon's projected track
As of 10 a.m., PAGASA located the center of the eye of typhoon Bising at 375 km east of Juban, Sorsogon or 345 km east of Virac, Catanduanes.
It is currently moving northwestward at 20 kph.
Typhoon Bising is seen to continue to move northwestward over the Philippine Sea east of Bicol region Sunday and is likely to slow down considerably and begin to turn more northward Sunday evening or Monday morning.
PAGASA said the typhoon will then continue to move northward until Tuesday morning, April 20, before turning north-northwestward while over the Philippine Sea east of Cagayan Valley.
By Wednesday evening, April 21, the typhoon is forecast to turn northeastward or east-northeastward away from the landmass of Luzon.
"Considering the uncertainty in the track forecast of the typhoon, a westward shift in the current forecast track may result in potentially significant impacts over the eastern portions of Southern Luzon and Visayas," PAGASA said.
"The possibility of a close approach scenario is not ruled out," it added.
Bising will likely be at 565 km east of Infanta, Quezon by Monday; 560 km east of Baler, Aurora by Tuesday; 495 km east of Tuguegarao City, Cagayan by Wednesday, April 21; 500 km east of Basco, Batanes by Thursday, April 22; and 895 km east of extreme Northern Luzon by Friday, April 23.