Signal No. 1 over NCR, 14 other areas due to Ofel

Tropical Depression Ofel made its fourth landfall over Torrijos, Marinduque at 7:45 p.m. on Wednesday, according to PAGASA.

According to its 11 p.m. severe weather bulletin, Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) no.1 remained raised over:

• Batangas
• Laguna
• Cavite
• Rizal
• Quezon
• Metro Manila
• Bataan
• Calamian Islands
• Occidental Mindoro
• Oriental Mindoro
• Marinduque
• Romblon
• Camarines Norte
• Western portion of Camarines Sur (Cabusao, Libmanan, Pamplona, Pasacao, Sipocot, Lupi, Ragay, Del Gallego)
• Burias Islands

At 10 p.m. on Wednesday, the center of Ofel was estimated at 55 kilometers northeast of Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro with maximum sustained winds of 45 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 55 kph.

It is moving northwestward at 20 kph.

Ofel is expected to emerge over the West Philippine Sea on Thursday morning and exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Friday morning or afternoon.

Though Ofel is forecast to remain a tropical depression within 12 to 24 hours, it may intensify into a tropical storm once over the West Philippine Sea.

Hazards

From Wednesday evening to Thursday night, Ofel is expected to bring moderate to heavy rains over Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, the northern portion of Quezon, Aurora, Bataan, and Bulacan.

It is also expected to bring light to moderate with, at times, heavy rains over Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, the rest of Central Luzon, and CALABARZON.

PAGASA warned of possible flooding, including flash floods, and rain-induced landslides during heavy or prolonged rainfall.

Meanwhile, occasional gusts associated with the northeasterly surface wind flow may be experienced over Extreme Northern Luzon, Aurora, and the coastal and mountainous areas of mainland Northern Luzon, according to PAGASA.

Gale warnings have also been raised over the entire seaboards of Northern Luzon and the seaboard of Aurora due to rough to very rough seas while moderate to rough seas may be experienced over seaboards where TCWS no.1 is raised.

A severe weather bulletin on Ofel is set to be issued at 2 a.m. on Thursday. -NB, GMA News