The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) listed more areas under tropical cyclone wind signals by late Wednesday evening as severe tropical storm ‘Opong’ moved closer, affecting many provinces across Luzon and Visayas.
Based on its 11:00 p.m. weather bulletin, PAGASA said ‘Opong’ was located between Surigao City, Surigao del Norte and Maasin City, Southern Leyte. It was moving west northwestward at 15 kilometers per hour (kph) packing 100 kph of winds with gusts of up to 125 kph.
The state weather bureau has raised signal no. 2 over Northern Samar and the northern portion of Eastern Samar, including the municipalities of San Policarpo, Oras, Jipadpad, and Arteche. Other affected localities, meanwhile, were added to the list of areas observing Signal No. 1 such as:
LUZON
- Quezon including Polillo Islands, Rizal, Laguna, the southeastern portion of Batangas (Cuenca, Taysan, Lobo, Talisay, Padre Garcia, Agoncillo, San Pascual, Santo Tomas, Bauan, San Jose, San Luis, Lipa City, Ibaan, City of Tanauan, Mabini, Mataasnakahoy, Alitagtag, Balete, Tingloy, San Juan, San Nicolas, Batangas City, Rosario, Santa Teresita, Taal, Malvar, Laurel), Marinduque, Oriental Mindoro, Romblon, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Albay, Sorsogon, and Masbate including Ticao and Burias Islands
VISAYAS
- Samar, the rest of Eastern Samar, Biliran, and the northern portion of Leyte (Barugo, San Miguel, Babatngon, Tacloban City, Calubian, Leyte, Capoocan, Carigara, Palo)
PAGASA warned that ‘Opong’ will continue to intensify over the Philippine Sea and may reach typhoon category before making its projected landfall over the Bicol region this Friday (September 26).
“It will then weaken as it crosses the archipelago, although it will likely remain as a typhoon or severe tropical storm during the passage. Re-intensification is highly likely once ‘Opong’ emerges over the West Philippine Sea,” it added in its advisory.
PAGASA has issued storm surge warnings over the low-lying or exposed coastal localities of Quezon, Batangas, Marinduque, Romblon, Oriental Mindoro, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Albay, Sorsogon, Masbate, Northern Samar. Eastern Samar, Samar, and Biliran in light of the approaching storm.
