In less than 24 hours, severe tropical storm Paeng (international name: Nalgae) already made landfall four times. This, however, will not be the last as the weather disturbance is about to hit the country’s landmass anew according to the state weather bureau.

“On the forecast track, the center of Paeng will make landfall in the vicinity of San Juan, Batangas before traversing the Cavite-Metro Manila-Bataan Peninsula area for the remainder of the day,” said the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) on Saturday afternoon, Oct. 29.

In its latest bulletin issued at 2 p.m., it was shown that Paeng was already over the coastal waters of San Juan, Batangas with maximum sustained winds of 95 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of up to 130 kph.

Storm surge warnings raised

Apart from severe winds and heavy rains, PAGASA warned of the minimal to moderate risk of storm surge in selected Philippine coastal areas.

Storm surge, locally known as daluyong ng bagyo, is defined as the “abnormal rise in sea level.” It is caused by strong winds and low atmospheric pressures produced by tropical cyclones.

“ the low-lying and exposed coastal areas of western Pangasinan, Zambales, Bataan, southern Aurora, Quezon including Polillo Islands, Bulacan, Metro Manila, Cavite, Batangas, Marinduque, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, and Albay,” said PAGASA.

Residents living in low-lying coastal communities were advised to stay away from the coast and cancel all marine activities.

Wind Signals

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signals are still raised as Paeng ravages the country’s landmass.

Signal No. 3 remained hoisted in Metro Manila, Bataan, the southern portion of Zambales, Marinduque, the northern and central portions of Quezon including Polillo Islands, Laguna, Batangas, Cavite, Rizal, the northwestern portion of Occidental Mindoro including Lubang Islands, and the northern portion of Oriental Mindoro.

Areas under Signal No. 2 include the southern portion of Aurora, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan, Pampanga, Tarlac, the rest of Zambales, the western and northwestern portions of Camarines Sur, the rest of Oriental Mindoro, the rest of Occidental Mindoro, Romblon, Camarines Norte, the rest of Quezon, the northern and central portions of Albay, and Burias Island, the northwestern portion of Antique and the western portion of Aklan.

Meanwhile, Signal No. 1 was raised in Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, La Union, Kalinga, Abra, Benguet, Ifugao, Mountain Province, Ilocos Sur, the rest of Aurora, Catanduanes, the rest of Camarines Sur, the rest of Albay, Sorsogon, the rest of Masbate including Ticao Island, and the northern portion of Palawan including Calamian Islands and Cuyo Islands, the northern and central portions of Eastern Samar, Samar, Northern Samar, Leyte, the northern and central portions of Cebu including Bantayan and Camotes Islands, Biliran, the northern portion of Bohol, Negros Occidental, the northern and central portions of Negros Oriental, Guimaras, the rest of Antique, the rest of Aklan, Capiz, and Iloilo.