Tropical storm Paeng (international name: Nalgae) has slightly intensified as it moved toward Northern Samar-Sorsogon-Albay area Friday afternoon, Oct. 28, said the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).
In its bulletin issued at 5 p.m. on Friday, PAGASA said Paeng was last spotted 180 kilometers east of Catarman, Northern Samar.
It was moving west-northwestward at a speed of 25 kilometers per hour (kph), while packing maximum sustained winds of 85 kph near the center and gusts of up to 105 kph.
“Tropical storm Paeng is forecast to continue moving west-northwestward through Sunday (Oct. 30). On the forecast track the center of Paeng may make landfall or pass close to Northern Samar tonight (Oct. 28),” PAGASA said.
“Afterwards, this tropical cyclone will traverse the Bicol Region this late evening (Oct. 28) through tomorrow morning (Oct. 29). Between tomorrow afternoon and evening, the center of Paeng may make another landfall over the east coast of Quezon, including Polillo Islands,” it added.
Paeng is also expected to intensify into a severe tropical storm in 12 hours.
Many parts of the country have tropical cyclone wind signals raised due to the expected “strong” to “gale force” winds from Paeng.
Currently, the storm has a wide diameter of 960 kilometers.
Signal No. 2 was hoisted over Metro Manila, Catanduanes, Albay, Sorsogon, Masbate including Ticao Island and Burias Islands, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Marinduque, Quezon including Polillo Islands, southern portion of Aurora, southeastern portion of Nueva Ecija, Laguna, Batangas, Cavite, Rizal, Bulacan, eastern portion of Pampanga, northern and central portions of Oriental Mindoro, Romblon, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Samar, Biliran, and northern portion of Leyte.
Meanwhile, Signal No. 1 was up in Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, central and southern portions of Isabela, Ifugao, Benguet, Mountain Province, southern portion of Ilocos Sur, La Union, Bataan, Tarlac, Zambales, Pangasinan, the rest of Aurora, the rest of Pampanga, Occidental Mindoro including Lubang Islands, the rest of Oriental Mindoro, Calamian Islands, Cuyo Islands, the rest of Nueva Ecija, Southern Leyte, Cebu including Bantayan and Camotes Islands, Bohol, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Guimaras, Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Iloilo, Siquijor, the rest of Leyte, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte including Siargao and Bucas Grande Islands, northern portion of Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Norte, northeastern portion of Agusan del Sur, Camiguin, and eastern portion of Misamis Oriental.
“Per latest track and intensity forecast, the highest wind signal that will likely be hoisted is Wind Signal No. 3 in anticipation of storm-force conditions associated with Paeng,” PAGASA said.
From Friday afternoon to early Saturday, heavy to torrential rains may prevail over Bicol Region and Eastern Visayas.
Moderate to intense rains may also affect Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan, Quezon, Caraga, Zamboanga Peninsula, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), Northern Mindanao, and the rest of Visayas.
Meanwhile, light to heavy rains may prevail over Metro Manila, Bulacan, Pampanga, Cagayan Valley, Aurora, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and the rest of Mindanao.
From early Saturday to Sunday morning, heavy to torrential rains are likely over Aurora, Metro Manila, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Romblon, Marinduque, Camarines Norte, and Camarines Sur.
Meanwhile, moderate to intense rains may prevail over Cagayan Valley, Cordillera Administrative Region, Western Visayas, and the rest of Central Luzon and Bicol Region.
Light to heavy rains may also affect Zamboanga Peninsula and the rest of Luzon and Visayas.
“Under these conditions, flooding and rain-induced landslides are expected, especially in areas that are highly or very highly susceptible to these hazards as identified in hazard maps and in localities with significant antecedent rainfall,” PAGASA warned.