Signal No. 2 still up over Cagayan, 3 other provinces due to Ramon

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 2 remained hoisted over Cagayan, parts of northern Isabela, Apayao and Kalinga on Monday morning as Tropical Storm Ramon (international name: Kalmaegi) continued moving northwest toward northern Cagayan, PAGASA said in its 8 a.m. severe weather bulletin.

In Isabela, the following areas were placed under TCWS No. 2: Sta. Maria, San Pablo, Maconacon, Cabagan, Sto. Tomas, Quezon, Delfino Albano, Tumauini, and Divilacan.

These areas will experience winds of 61-120 kph in 24 hours.

The following areas, meanwhile, were placed under TCWS No. 1:

• Batanes;
• Ilocos Norte;
• Ilocos Sur;
• Abra;
• Mountain Province;
• Ifugao;
• Northern Aurora (Dilasag, Casiguran, and Dinalungan); and
• the rest of Isabela.

Areas under TCWS No. 1 may expect winds of 30-60 kph in 36 hours.

Light to moderate with occasional heavy rains will pour over the eastern part of mainland Cagayan and Isabela on Monday morning to afternoon.

Meanwhile, the rest of mainland Cagayan and Isabela, Babuyan Islands, northern portion of Aurora, Apayao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Abra and Ilocos Norte will have light to moderate with intermittent heavy rains.

Ramon is expected to make landfall over Northern Cagayan between Monday night and Tuesday morning.

It may intensify prior to making landfall.

On Monday night, Cagayan, Babuyan Islands, northern portion of Isabaela, and Apayao will have moderate with occasional to frequent heavy rains.

Light to moderate with intermittent heavy rains meanwhile, will be felt in Batanes, Kalinga, Abra, Ilocos Norte, and the rest of Isabela.

On Tuesday, it will still be rainy over the above-mentioned areas.

Northern Cagayan, Babuyan Islands, Batanes, Apayao, and Ilocos Norte will have light to moderate with occasional heavy rains, while light to moderate with intermittent heavy rains will be felt over Isabela, Kalinga, Abra, Ilocos Sur, and the rest of Cagayan.

Residents were advised to take the necessary precautions, coordinate with local disaster risk reduction and management offices concerned, and monitor weather updates.

At 7 a.m., the eye of Ramon was located at 190 km east of Tuguegarao City, Cagayan.

Ramon has maximum sustained winds of up to 85 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 105 kph.

It is moving northwest at 10 kph.

Ramon is expected to be outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) by Thursday.

Sea travel

Rough sea conditions over the seaboards of areas under TCWS, the western seaboard of Northern Luzon, and the eastern seaboards of Central and Southern Luzon will make sea travel risky.

LPA

Meanwhile, PAGASA is also monitoring a low-pressure area (LPA) still outside PAR.

At 7 a.m., the LPA was located 1,725 km east of Eastern Visayas.

It is expected to enter PAR within 24 hours.

PAGASA said the next severe weather bulletin will be issued at 11 a.m.

Class cancellations, evacuation

Classes were canceled in Cagayan and parts of Apayao and Isabela due to the oncoming storm.

Some towns in Cagayan also implemented forced and preemptive evacuation of residents before the expected landfall of Ramon, according to a report by Jun Veneracion on GMA News' Unang Balita on Monday.

The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office in Cagayan said more than 80 families have been evacuated from landslide- and flood-prone areas. —KG, GMA News