Signal No. 3 was raised in Isabela as Typhoon “Ompong” (international name Mangkhut) continues to threaten Northern Luzon with its heavy rain and strong winds, the state weather bureau said early Friday.
“Ompong” was last spotted 655 kilometers east of Infanta, Quezon, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said.
Signal No. 2 was raised over Batanes, Cagayan including the Babuyan Group of Islands, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Apayao, Abra, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, La Union, Benguet, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija, Aurora and Tarlac.
Pampanga, Bataan, Zambales, 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, Northern Samar were placed under Signal No. 1.
“Ompong” maintained its maximum sustained winds of 205 kph and gusts of up to 355 kph. It is expected to make landfall in the Cagayan-Isabela area on Saturday morning.
The southwest monsoon or “habagat” will meanwhile bring moderate to occasionally heavy rains over Visayas while scattered light to moderate to at times heavy rains over Palawan, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao and Caraga. /muf