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27 areas under Signal No. 2; Ambo now a severe tropical storm
By JAMIL SANTOS,GMA NewsTyphoon Ambo's classification has been downgraded into severe tropical storm as it continued to move toward the Northern Quezon-Laguna area, according to state weather bureau PAGASA.
Because of this, Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 3 was lifted, although over two dozen areas were still under TCWS No. 2, based on PAGASA's 2 p.m. bulletin. They are:
- Ilocos Norte,
- Ilocos Sur,
- Apayao,
- Abra,
- Kalinga,
- La Union,
- Ifugao,
- Mountain Province,
- Benguet,
- Nueva Vizcaya,
- Quirino,
- Tarlac,
- Nueva Ecija,
- Aurora,
- Pampanga,
- Bulacan,
- Rizal,
- Metro Manila,
- Laguna,
- the eastern portion of Pangasinan (San Nicolas, Natividad, San Quintin, Umingan, Balungao, Sta. Maria, Tayug, Asingan, San Manuel, Binalonan, Laoac, Urdaneta, Villasis, Rosales, Sto. Tomas, Alcala, Bautista, Bayambang, Urbiztondo, Basista, Malasiqui, Sta. Barbara, Manaoag, Mapandan, San Jacinto, San Fabian, Pozorrubio, Sison, Mangaldan, Dagupan, Calasiao, Binmaley, Lingayen, Bugallon, Aguilar, San Carlos, Mangatarem),
- the western portion of Isabela (Quezon, Mallig, Roxas, Quirino, San Manuel, Burgos, Gamu, Reina Mercedes, Aurora, Luna, Cabatuan, Naguilian, Benito Soliven, Cauayan, San Guillermo, Dinapugue, San Mateo, Alicia, Angadanan, Ramon, San Isidro, Echague, Jones, San Agustin, Santiago, Cordon),
- Cavite,
- Quezon including Pollilo Islands,
- Camarines Norte,
- western portion of Camarines Sur (Del Gallego, Ragay, Lupi, Sipocot),
- Marinduque,
- Batangas
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Meanwhile, the following areas were under TCWS No. 1:
- Cagayan including Babuyan Islands,
- Batanes
- the rest of Pangasinan
- Zambales
- Bataan
- Oriental Mindoro
- Burias Island
- the rest of Camarines Sur
- northern portion of Albay (Tiwi, Malinao, Tabaco, Polangui, Libon, Oas, Ligao, Guinobatan, Pio Duran)
'Typhoon Yolanda Jr'
Ambo made its landfall -- the first of six -- in San Policarpo town shortly after noon Thursday and left a trail of devastation in Eastern Samar, particular in infrastructure, to the point that Governor Ben Evardone dubbed it "Typhoon Yolanda Jr," in reference to the infamous 2013 super typhoon.
Evardone lamented that among the infrastructures damaged by the typhoon were evacuation centers and classrooms converted as isolation facilities for suspected COVID-19 cases.
"This is a double whammy for us because we are also facing this COVID crisis," he said.
In Quezon, Governor Danilo Suarez said Ambo resulted in widespread power outages in the province.
"Maraming lugar na walang kuryente at maraming cell sites ang natumba," he said in a Dobol B sa News TV interview.
Suarez estimated that power outage was at 50 to 55% as power lines got knocked down.
Ambo's strength
As of 2 p.m., Ambo has maximum sustained winds of 110 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 150 kph. Its center was spotted at the vicinity of Agdangan, Quezon (13.9 °N, 121.9 °E) at 1 p.m.
Ambo had made six landfalls, namely in San Policarpo, Eastern Samar; Dalupiri Island, Northern Samar; Capul Island, Northern Samar; Ticao Island, Masbate; Burias Island, Masbate; and San Andres, Quezon.
Moderate to heavy with at times intense rains are expected on Friday over Bicol Region, Quezon, Aurora, Marinduque, Laguna, Rizal, Metro Manila, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, and Quirino. On Saturday, moderate to heavy with at times intense rains are expected over Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos Region, Aurora, and Nueva Ecija.
Ambo is expected to leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Tuesday morning. --KBK, GMA News