“Ambo” maintains its strength; makes landfall over San Andres in Quezon

“Ambo” has maintained its strength and has made landfall over San Andres, Quezon, its sixth landfall so far, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said on Friday, May 15./PAGASA/

(Eagle News)–Typhoon “Ambo” has maintained its strength and has made landfall over San Andres, Quezon, its sixth so far.

In its 8 a.m. advisory, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said as of 7 a.m., the eye of the typhoon was located  over the coastal waters, bringing destructive winds and heavy to intense rainfall over Bondoc Peninsula in Southern Quezon and Burias Island.

PAGASA said “Ambo” is packing maximum sustained winds of up to 125 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 165 kph.

It is moving northwestward at 15 kph.

Signal No. 3 remains hoisted over the western portion of Camarines Sur (Del Gallego, Ragay, Lupi, Sipocot, Cabusao, Libmanan, Pamplona, Pasacao, San Fernando, Minalabac, Bula, Balatan), the extreme western portion of Camarines Norte (Santa Elena), Burias Island, Marinduque, the eastern portion of Quezon (Polillo, Infanta, Real, Mauban, Pagbilao, Sampaloc, eastern Tayabas, Atimonan, Padre Burgos, Agdangan, Plaridel, Unisan, Gumaca, Pitogo, Perez, Alabat, Quezon, Tagkawayan, Calauag, Lopez, Macalelon, General Luna, Catanauan, Buenavista, Guinayangan, Mulanay, San Narciso, San Andres, San Francisco), and the eastern portion of Laguna (Santa Maria, Famy, Siniloan, Pangil, Pakil, Mabitac, Paete, Kalayaan, Lumban, Cavinti), which means these areas will have strong to destructive typhoon-force winds during the passage of the typhoon.

The southeastern portion of Pangasinan (Mangatarem, Urbiztondo, Bayambang, Bautista, Basista, Malasiqui, Alcala, Sto. Tomas, Urdaneta, Villasis, Rosales, Asingan, Sta. Maria, Balungao, Umingan, San Quintin, Tayug, San Manuel, San Nicolas, Natividad), Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Pampanga, Bulacan, Metro Manila, Rizal, Cavite, Batangas, the rest of Laguna, the rest of Quezon, the western portion of Masbate (Balud, Mandaon, Aroroy, Baleno, Masbate City, Mobo, Uson, Milagros) including Ticao Island, the rest of Camarines Norte, the rest of Camarines Sur, Albay, Sorsogon, the southern portion of Catanduanes (San Andres, Virac, Bato), and the eastern portion of Romblon (Banton, Corcuera, Calatrava, San Agustin, Romblon, Magdiwang, San Fernando, Cajidiocan) are under signal No. 2.

Areas under this storm signal will experience “strong to damaging gale/storm-force winds”  during the typhoon passage, PAGASA said.

Signal No. 1 is hoisted over Cagayan including Babuyan Islands, Isabela, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, the rest of Pangasinan, Apayao, Kalinga, Abra, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Benguet, Zambales, Bataan, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, the rest of Catanduanes, the rest of Masbate, and the rest of Romblon. The extreme northeastern portion of Capiz (Pilar, Panay, Roxas, Ivisan), the northeastern portion of Iloilo (Carles, Balasan, Estancia, Batad), the western portion of Northern Samar (San Vicente, Capul, San Antonio, Allen, Victoria, San Isidro, Biri, Lavezares, Rosario, San Jose).

These areas will experience strong to near gale-force winds during the passage of the typhoon, the weather bureau said.

Today, moderate to heavy with at times intense rains are forecast over Bicol Region, Quezon, Aurora, Marinduque, Laguna, Rizal, Metro Manila, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, and Quirino.

Tomorrow, PAGASA said moderate to heavy with at times intense rains are expected over Cagayan Valley, Cordillera Administrative Region, Aurora, and Nueva Ecija.

In the next 24 hours, a storm surge height of up to 2.0 meters may be experienced over the coastal areas of Bicol Region, Quezon, and Aurora, and this, PAGASA said,  may result in “potentially life-threatening coastal inundation.”

Sea travel is risky for all types of seacrafts over the seaboards of areas under storm signals.