Fifteen areas in northern Luzon were placed under tropical cyclone wind signal number 2 on Monday evening, Aug. 22, due to the expected landfall of tropical storm Florita (international name Ma-on), said the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).
Areas under Signal No. 2 were Cagayan, the southern portion of Babuyan Islands, Isabela, Quirino, the eastern and central portions of Nueva Vizcaya, Apayao, Abra, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, the northern portion of Benguet, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, and the northern and central portions of Aurora.
Meanwhile, areas under Signal No. 1 were the rest of Babuyan Islands, the rest of Nueva Vizcaya, the rest of Benguet, La Union, the eastern and central portions of Pangasinan, the eastern portion of Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, the rest of Aurora, the eastern portion of Pampanga, the eastern portion of Bulacan, the eastern portion of Rizal, the northern portion of Quezon including Polillo Islands, the northern portion of Laguna, and Camarines Norte.
PAGASA in its 8 p.m. bulletin said Florita was located 145 kilometers east of Casiguran, Aurora.
It was packing maximum sustained winds of 75 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 90 kph.
“Tropical storm Florita will continue moving generally westward tonight (Aug. 22) before turning west-northwestward tomorrow early morning (Aug. 23),” PAGASA said.
Should it maintain its current speed and track, PAGASA pointed out that Florita will likely make landfall “in the vicinity of the east coast of Isabela or Cagayan” early morning on Tuesday, Aug. 23.
“Afterwards, the center of Florita will traverse several provinces in northern Luzon before emerging over the West Philippine Sea tomorrow evening (Aug. 23) or Wednesday early morning (Aug. 24),” it said.