Four areas were placed under Signal No. 4 as typhoon “Ompong” (international name: Mangkhut) moved closer to Isabela and Cagayan, the state weather bureau said Friday evening.
Based on the 8 p.m. bulletin of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), storm signal warnings were hoisted over the following areas:
Signal No. 4
- Cagayan
- Northern Isabela
- Apayao
- Abra
Signal No. 3
- Batanes
- Babuyan Group of Is.
- Southern Isabela
- Ilocos Norte
- Ilocos Sur
- La Union
- Kalinga
- Mountain Province
- Benguet
- Ifugao
- Nueva Vizcaya
- Quirino
- Northern Aurora
Signal No. 2
- Pangasinan
- Tarlac
- Nueva Ecija
- Southern Aurora
- Zambales
- Pampanga
- Bulacan
- Northern Quezon, including Polillo Island
Signal No. 1
- Bataan
- Rizal
- Metro Manila
- Cavite
- Batangas
- Laguna
- Rest of Quezon
- Northern Occidental Mindoro, including Lubang Island
- Northern Oriental Mindoro
- Masbate
- Marinduque
- Camarines Norte
- Camarines Sur
- Catanduanes
- Albay
- Sorsogon
- Burias and Ticao Islands
The eye of the typhoon was last spotted 260 kilometers east northeast of Casiguran, Aurora, Pagasa said.
Ompong maintained its course of 30 kilometres per hour (kph) northwest, with maximum sustained winds of 205 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 255 kph.
The typhoon — the strongest to hit the country this year — began lashing parts of Northern Luzon with heavy rains and powerful winds on Friday afternoon. Its projected landfall is on Saturday morning over Cagayan-Isabela area.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said over 5 million people are in the typhoon’s path. As of this posting, more than 30,000 people have already fled their homes ahead of the onslaught.
Ompong’s estimated clout was 900 kilometers wide. It is expected to drop massive amounts of rainfall in Northern and Central Luzon.
Ompong was last spotted 340 kilometers east northeast of Casiguran, Aurora and is expected to be out of the Philippine area of responsibility by Sunday afternoon. /kga