Huge areas of PH under Signal No. 1 as ‘Ompong’ nears

Typhoon “Ompong” (international name: Mangkhut) maintained its strength Thursday afternoon as it continued to threaten Northern Luzon, the state weather bureau said.

More areas in parts of Luzon and Visayas were placed under Signal No. 1, including Metro Manila, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said.

Areas placed under Signal No. 1 are:

-Batanes,

-Cagayan including Babuyan group of Islands,

-Northern Samar

– Apayao

-Abra

-Kalinga

-Mountain Province

-Ifugao

-Isabela

-Benguet

-Pangasinan

-La Union

-Ilocos Norte

-Ilocos Sur

-Quirino

-Nueva Vizcaya

-Aurora

-Pampanga

-Bataan

-Zambales

– Tarlac

-Nueva Ecija

-Bulacan

-Rizal

-Metro Manila

-Cavite

-Batangas

-Laguna-Quezon incl. Polillo Island

-Northern Occidental Mindoro incl. Lubang Island

-Northern, Oriental Mindoro

-Masbate

-Marinduque

– Camarines Norte

-Camarines Sur

-Catanduanes

-Albay

-Sorsogon

-Burias and Ticao Island

Ompong blows maximum sustained winds of 205 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 255 kph.

It was last spotted 575 kilometers east-northeast of Virac, Catanduanes, moving west-northwest at 25 kph.

The typhoon is expected to make landfall over Cagayan-Isabela area on Saturday morning.

Pagasa also said moderate to occasionally heavy rains due to southwest monsoon may be experienced over Palawan and Zamboanga Peninsula. /kga

READ: #WalangPasok: List of class, work suspensions due to ‘Ompong’