Signal No. 1 still up in Kalayaan Islands as ‘Vicky’ moves away from PAR

MANILA, Philippines — Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 1 is still raised in Kalayaan Islands on Monday morning even as tropical storm Vicky continues to move away from the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR).

Based on the weather bulletin issued by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) at 5 a.m., the center of Vicky was last spotted 175 kilometers south-southwest of Kalayaan, Palawan outside PAR.

It is moving southwestward at 20 kilometers per hour, and is packing maximum sustained winds of 65 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 80 kph.

Pagasa said Vicky will continue to move away from the Kalayaan Islands and move west-southwestward or southwestward in the next 24 hours over the West Philippine Sea before turning more westward by Tuesday.

It is forecast to remain as a tropical storm through the forecast period and is less likely to further intensify due to marginal conditions associated with the surge of the northeast monsoon.

“Due to the combined effects of the tropical storm and the surge of the northeast monsoon, strong breeze to near gale conditions will continue to prevail, with occasional gusts of gale-force winds,” Pagasa said.

According to the weather bureau, Batanes, Babuyan Islands, and the northern portions of Cagayan, Apayao, and Ilocos Norte will experience strong to gale-force winds due to the surge of the northeast monsoon enhanced by Vicky.

Meanwhile, occasional gusty conditions are also likely over the eastern portions of mainland Cagayan, Isabela, Aurora, Quezon, and Palawan including Calamian Islands.

Pagasa said that for this Monday, moderate to heavy rains will be experienced over Kalayaan Islands, the eastern portion of mainland Cagayan Valley, Aurora, and the northern portion of Quezon.

Light to moderate with at times heavy rains, meanwhile, will prevail over the rest of mainland Cagayan Valley, Babuyan Islands, Apayao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Camarines Norte and the rest of Quezon.

For Tuesday, moderate to heavy rains are expected over Cagayan and Apayao, and light to moderate with at times heavy rains over Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Aurora, Quezon, and the rest of Cagayan Valley.

Further, in the next 24 hours, the surge of the northeast monsoon enhanced by Vicky will bring rough to high seas (3.0 to 6.0 meters) over the entire seaboard of Northern Luzon and rough to very rough seas (2.8 to 4.5 meters) over the seaboard of Central Luzon, the eastern seaboard of northern Quezon including the northern and eastern waters of Polillo Islands, the seaboard of Camarines Norte, the northern seaboard of Camarines Sur, the northern and eastern seaboard of Catanduanes, the seaboard of Lubang Island, and the western seaboard of Palawan including Calamian and Kalayaan Islands.

“Sea travel is risky over these waters especially for small sea vessels,” Pagasa warned.

EDV