10 areas still under Signal No. 3 due to Ompong

Typhoon Ompong (international name: Mangkhut) maintained its strength as it traverses in a west northwestward direction west of Laoag City on Saturday, according to the 2 p.m. bulletin by weather bureau PAGASA.

The eye of Ompong was last located 85 km West of Laoag City, Ilocos Norte with maximum sustained winds of 170 km/h near the center and gustiness of up to 260 km/h as it moved west northwest at 25 km/h.

Because of its intensity, the following areas were placed under Tropical Cyclone Warning System (TCWS) Number 3:

• Cagayan incl. Babuyan Group of Islands
• Batanes
• Ilocos Sur
• Ilocos Norte
• La Union Mountain Province
• Benguet
• Ifugao
• Kalinga
• Apayao
• Abra

These areas will experience winds of 121 -170 kph and wave heights of up to 14 meters in open sea in at least 18 hours.

Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte in particular may experience a possible storm surge of up to three meters, while La Union with Pangasinan may see a storm surge of up to two meters.

PAGASA raised TCWS #2 in the following provinces:

• Isabela
• Nueva Vizcaya
• Pangasinan
• Tarlac
• Nueva Ecija
• Aurora
• Zambales
• Quirino
• Pampanga
• Bulacan

Wind speeds of 61 to 120 kph can be expected along with wave heights of 4.1 to 14.0 meters in the next 24 hours.

Finally, these areas under TCWS #1 are expected to see wind speeds of 30 to 60 kph and wave heights of 1.25 to 4.0 meters in the next 36 hours:

• Bataan
• Rizal
• Metro Manila
• Cavite
• Batangas
• Laguna
• Lubang Island
• Northern Quezon incl. Polillo Island

Gusty winds with occasional moderate to heavy rains prevail over the following areas due to the southwest monsoon or habagat enhanced by Ompong:

• Visayas
• Zamboanga Peninsula
• ARMM
• MIMAROPA
• Bicol Region

Scattered light to moderate to at times heavy rains over Eastern and Central Visayas.

Fisherfolk and those with small seacrafts along the coastlines of areas with TCWS and the seaboards of Luzon and of Visayas and northern and western seaboards of Mindanao were warned to stay ashore.

PAGASA weather expert Ariel Rojas said in a report on Super Radyo DZBB that Ompong may leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Saturday evening but will continue to affect the western part of the Philippines. -NB, GMA News