Signal no. 1 up over 6 areas as Ulysses slightly weakens

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 is hoisted over six areas in Luzon as Typhoon Ulysses slightly weakened and continued to move westward over the West Philippine Sea, PAGASA said Thursday afternoon.

In its 5 p.m. severe weather bulletin, the weather agency said the center of the eye of Ulysses was located 200 kilometers west of Iba, Zambales at 4 p.m. with maximum sustained winds of 120 km per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 150 kph. It is moving westward at 25 kph.

TCWS No. 1 is up over the following:

• The western portion of Pangasinan (Bautista, Alcala, Malasiqui, Santo Tomas, Santa Barbara, Mapandan, Mangaldan, Dagupan City, Calasiao, San Carlos City, Basista, Bayambang, Urbiztondo, Mangatarem, Aguilar, Binmaley, Lingayen, Bugallon, Labrador, Infanta, Mabini, Dasol, Sual, Alaminos City, Burgos, Agno, Bani, Bolinao, Anda)
• Tarlac
• the western portion of Pampanga (Magalang, Mabalacat, Angeles City, Porac, Floridablanca, Arayat, Mexico, Santa Ana, San Fernando City, Bacolor, Santa Rita, Guagua, Lubao, Sasmuan)
• Zambales
• Bataan
• Lubang Island

PAGASA said Ulysses is forecasted to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Friday morning.

Hazards

PAGASA said strong breeze to near gale conditions will prevail in areas under TCWS No. 1, while the surge of the northeast monsoon will bring strong breeze to gale-force winds over Northern Luzon.

Until Thursday night, the weather bureau said moderate to heavy rains will prevail over the Cordillera Administrative Region, the eastern portions of Cagayan and Isabela, Zambales, Bataan, Aurora, Cavite, the western portion of Batangas, and Occidental Mindoro including Lubang Island.

Meanwhile, light to moderate, with at times, heavy rains will be experienced over Western Visayas, Samar Provinces, Metro Manila, and the rest of Luzon.

PAGASA advised affected residents to prepare for possible flash floods, landslides and sediment-laden streamflows during heavy or prolonged rainfall.

Moreover, within the next 24 hours, the combined effects of Ulysses and the surge of the northeast monsoon will bring rough to very rough seas (2.5 to 6.0 meters) over the seaboards of areas under TCWS, Northern Luzon, and Occidental Mindoro and the western seaboards of Batangas and Palawan including Calamian and Kalayaan Islands.

Moderate to rough seas (1.5 to 2.5 m) will also prevail over the eastern seaboards of Central and Southern Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, the seaboards of Cuyo Islands, and the western seaboard of Panay Island.

“Mariners of small seacrafts are advised to take precautionary measures when venturing out to sea. Inexperienced mariners should avoid navigating in these conditions,” PAGASA warned. — BM, GMA News