Signal No. 2 in effect over Catanduanes, Albay, Sorsogon, eastern part of CamSur as “Rolly” maintains its strength

Signal No. 1 raised over M. Manila, other areas

(Eagle News)–Signal no. 2 has been raised over several provinces as Typhoon “Rolly” maintained its strength and moved towards the Bicol area.

In its recent advisory, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said Catanduanes, the eastern portion of Camarines Sur (Caramoan, Garchitorena, Lagonoy, Tinambac, Siruma, Presentacion, San Jose, Goa, Buhi, Sagnay, Tigaon, Ocampo, Iriga City, Baao, Nabua, Bato, Balatan, Bula, Pili, Calabanga, Naga City, Bombon, Magarao, Canaman, Gainza, Milaor, Camaligan, Minalabac), Albay, and Sorsogon are under the tropical cyclone wind signal, with “Rolly” estimated 655 kilometers east northeast of Virac, Catanduanes.

It is packing  maximum sustained winds of 215 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 265 kph, and is moving west at 20 kph.

Signal No. 1, on the other hand, is raised over Camarines Norte, the rest of Camarines Sur, Masbate including Ticao and Burias Islands, Quezon including Polillo Islands, Rizal, Laguna, Cavite, Batangas, Marinduque, Romblon, Occidental Mindoro including Lubang Island, Oriental Mindoro, Metro Manila, Bulacan, Pampanga, Bataan, Zambales, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Aurora, Pangasinan, Benguet, Ifugao, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, and the southern portion of Isabela (Aurora, Luna, Reina Mercedes, Naguilian, Benito Soliven, San Mariano, Palanan, Dinapigue, San Guillermo, Echague, San Agustin, Jones, Cordon, Santiago City, Ramon, San Isidro, Angadanan, Alicia, Cauayan City, Cabatuan, San Mateo). Northern Samar, the northern portion of Samar (Tagapul-An, Almagro, Santo Nino, Tarangnan, Catbalogan City, Calbayog City, Santa Margarita, Gandara, Pagsanghan, San Jorge, Jiabong, Motiong, Paranas, San Jose de Buan, Matuguinao), the northern portion of Eastern Samar (Taft, Can-Avid, Dolores, Maslog, Jipapad, Arteche, Oras, San Policarpo), and the northern portion of Biliran (Kawayan, Maripipi).

“Rolly” is expected to move west-southwest today off the coast of Bicol Region.

“Beginning tomorrow morning, it will gradually turn towards the west-northwest, bringing its inner rainbands-eyewall region near or over Catanduanes and the Camarines Provinces during the morning-afternoon hours and over Quezon-southern Aurora area during the afternoon-evening hours,” PAGASA said.

The weather bureau said the center of the eye of the typhoon is forecast to pass very close or over the Calaguas Islands tomorrow afternoon and make landfall over Polillo Islands and mainland Quezon tomorrow evening.

After crossing Central Luzon, the center of the typhoon is expected to exit the mainland Luzon landmass on Monday morning.

According to the weather bureau, “Rolly” may reach the Super Typhoon category over the next 12 hours by the time it grazes Bicol Region and makes landfall over Quezon.

During its traverse over Luzon, “Rolly” is forecast to weaken considerably and emerge as a severe tropical storm or minimal typhoon over the West Philippine Sea.

This morning through this evening, the trough of “Rolly” will bring light to moderate with at times heavy rains over Central Visayas, Negros Occidental, Leyte. Southern Leyte, Palawan including Cuyo Islands, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Caraga, and Sulu Archipelago.

This late evening through tomorrow, heavy to intense rains due to “Rolly” will be experienced over Bicol Region, CALABARZON, Metro Manila, Central Luzon Marinduque, and the northern portions of Occidental and Oriental Mindoro.

Moderate to heavy rains will also be experienced over the Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, and Quirino.

The wind signal in some provinces in the Bicol Region are now upgraded to Signal No. 2, with damaging gale-force to storm-force winds expected to affect these areas in the next 24 hours.

Strong breeze to near-gale conditions due to the northeasterlies will be experienced over Batanes, Babuyan Islands, Ilocos Norte, Apayao, and the coastal and mountainous areas of Cagayan and Isabela, in the areas that are not under Signal No. 1.

PAGASA said there was a moderate to high risk of storm surge of up to 3.0 m over the northern coastal areas of Quezon including Polillo Islands and up to 2.0 m over the coastal areas of Aurora, Marinduque, Bicol Region, and Northern Samar and the other coastal areas of Quezon in the next 48 hours.

According to the weather bureau, rough to phenomenal seas will be experienced over the seaboard of areas where a tropical cyclone wind signal is in effect.

Rough to very rough seas, on the other hand, ae expected over the remaining seaboards of Northern Luzon and the eastern seaboards of Eastern Visayas (that are not under a tropical cyclone wind signal) and Caraga.

This means sea travel is risky for all types of seacraft over these waters, especially those under a tropical cyclone wind signal.

Moderate to rough seas will be experienced over the remaining seaboards of the country.