Typhoon Ambo to rumble off Metro Manila Friday night – Pagasa
MANILA, Philippines — Typhoon Ambo will approach and be closest to Metro Manila between 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday , according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).
“Bagama’t hindi natin inaasahan na direktang tatama ang sentro ng bagyo, pero ang lawak ng bagyo ay makakaapekto pa rin sa Metro Manila (Even if we don’t expect that the center of the typhoon will directly hit Metro Manila, the typhoon will still affect the weather in the region),” Pagasa senior weather specialist Chris Perez said in a public briefing. “Inaasahan pa rin natin na posible na in between 8 to 10 tonight, ‘yung pinakamalapit na lokasyon ng sentro [ng bagyo] sa Metro Manila is roughly around 50 kilometers (We expect that between 8 to 10 p.m. tonight, the center of the typhoon will be roughly located 50 kilometers off Metro Manila), Perez added.Pagasa, in its 11 a.m. severe weather bulletin said Metro Manila is still under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 2, with winds of greater than 121 kilometers per hour (kph) up to 170 kph expected in at least 18 hours. TCWS No. 2 and 3 is also raised over several other areas.
Before noontime Friday, Pagasa said the northern portion of Bondoc Peninsula in southern Quezon was being whipped by storng winds and heavy rains spawned by Typhoon Ambo.
Moderate to heavy with at times intense rains will be experienced in the Bicol region, Quezon, Aurora, Marinduque, Laguna, Rizal, Metro Manila, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, and Quirino, Pagasa added.
The typhoon has so far made six landfalls – San Policarpo, Eastern Samar at 12:15 p.m. Thursday; Dalupiri Island, Northern Samar at 10:15 p.m. Thursday; Capul Island, Northern Samar at 10:30 p.m. Thursday; Ticao Island, Masbate at 12:00 a.m. Friday; Burias Island, Masbate at 3 a.m.; and San Andres, Quezon at 7:45 a.m.
Typhoon Ambo is forecast to be in the vicinity of Sigay, Ilocos Sur on Saturday morning; 75 kilometers northwest of Calayan, Cagayan on Sunday morning; 375 kilometers northeast of Basco, Batanes on Monday morning; and 1,595 kilometers northeast of Basco, Batanes and outside PAR on Tuesday morning.
