Severe Tropical Storm Ambo weakens while heading Northern Quezon

Pagasa satellite image as of 5:40 PM, May 15, 2020

MANILA, Philippines — Severe Tropical Storm Ambo (international name: Vongfong) slightly weakened as it approaches Infanta in Quezon province, the state weather agency said Friday.

The severe tropical storm also made another landfall — the seventh time it has done so — in Real town at 5 p.m., according to the 5 p.m. live weather update of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).

Based on data provided by Pagasa, Ambo previously had six landfalls over the following areas: San Policarpo, Eastern Samar (12:15 p.m. Thursday); Dalupiri Island, Northern Samar (10:15 p.m. Thursday); Capul Island, Northern Samar (10:30 p.m. Thursday); Ticao Island, Masbate (12 a.m. Friday); Burias Island, Masbate (3 a.m.Friday); San Andres, Quezon (7:45 a.m. Friday).

Pagasa said the center of Ambo was last spotted at 40 kilometers south of Infanta, Quezon.

Ambo also packed maximum sustained winds of 100 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center, and gustiness of up to 140 kph.

On Friday night, moderate to heavy with at times intense rains is expected over Quezon, Marinduque, Aurora, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Metro Manila, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, and Quirino.

Between Friday night to Saturday night, moderate to heavy with at times intense rains may reign over Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos Region, Central Luzon, Nueva Vizcaya, and Quirino.

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 2 remains hoisted over the following areas:

*Ilocos Norte
*Ilocos Sur
*La Union
*Apayao
*Abra
*Kalinga
*Mountain Province
*Ifugao
*Benguet
*The Eastern portion of Pangasinan (San Nicolas, Natividad, San Quintin, Umingan, Balungao, Sta. Maria, Tayug, Asingan, San Manuel, Binalonan, Laoac, Urdaneta, Villasis, Rosales, Sto. Tomas, Alcala, Bautista, Bayambang, Urbiztondo, Basista, Malasiqui, Sta. Barbara, Manaoag, Mapandan, San Jacinto, San Fabian, Pozorrubio, Sison, Mangaldan, Dagupan, Calasiao, Binmaley, Lingayen, Bugallon, Aguilar, San Carlos, Mangatarem)
*Tarlac
*Pampanga
*Metro Manila
*Bulacan
*Laguna
*Cavite
*Batangas
*Rizal
*Marinduque
*The Northern portion of Quezon (General Nakar, Infanta, Real, Mauban, Sampaloc. Lucban, Tayabas, Sariaya, Candelaria, Dolores, Tiaong, San Antonio, Lucena, Pagbilao, Atimonan, Padre Burgos, Agdangan, Plaridel, Unisan, Gumaca, Pitogo, Macallelon, General Luna, Catanauan, Lopez, Buenavista, Guinayangan, Calauag, Tagkayawan, Perez, Alabat, Quezon)
*Polillo Island
*The western portion of Camarines Norte (Santa Elena, Capalonga)
*Nueva Ecija
*Nueva Vizcaya
*Aurora
*Quirino
*The western portion of Isabela (Quezon, Mallig, Roxas, Quirino, San Manuel, Burgos, Gamu, Reina Mercedes, Aurora, Luna Cabanatuan, Naguilian, Benito Soliven, Cauayan, San Guillermo, Dinapugue, San Mateo, Alicia, Angadanan, Ramon, San Isidro, Echague, Jones, San Agustin, Santiago, Cordon)

Meanwhile, TCWS No. 1 is raised over:

*Cagayan including Babuyan Islands
*Batanes
*Zambales
*Bataan
*The rest of Pangasinan
*The rest of Isabela
*The rest of Quezon
*The rest of Camarines Norte
*The western portion of Camarines Sur (Del Gallego, Ragay, Lupi, Sipocot, Libmanan, Cabusao), and the northeastern portion of Oriental Mindoro (Puerto Galera, San Teodoro, Baco, Calapan, Naujan, Victoria, Socorro, Pola)

The severe tropical storm is expected to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Monday afternoon, Pagasa said.

Rainy Friday evening over Metro Manila

As Ambo is bringing intense rains over Quezon province, its effect will also be felt in Metro Manila, weather specialist Aldczar Aurelio said in the live weather update.

“Estimated po na 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. ito po yung oras na malapit yung center ng bagyo sa Metro Manila,” Aurelio said.

(It’s estimated that between 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. that the center of the storm is near Metro Manila.)

With the center of the storm near the metropolis, residents can expect heavy to intense rains as well as strong winds, Aurelio added.

However, the weather over Metro Manila will improve beginning Saturday morning, according to the weather specialist.

“At maaring bukas ng umaga ay makikita natin na unti-unting bubuti ang panahon sa Metro Manila,” he said.

(And it’s possible that the weather will start to improve over Metro Manila beginning Saturday morning.)