9 areas still under Signal No. 2 as Maring moves closer to Babuyan Islands

Nine areas remained under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 2 as Severe Tropical Storm Maring accelerated and continued to move closer to Babuyan Islands, according to PAGASA.

Based on PAGASA's 2 p.m. update, those under TCWS No. 2, which could experience "damaging gale to storm-force winds within 24 hours," are:

• Batanes,
• Cagayan including Babuyan Islands,
• the northern portion of Isabela (Palanan, Divilacan, Maconacon, Ilagan City, Tumauini, Cabagan, San Pablo, Santa Maria, Santo Tomas, Delfin Albano, Quirino, Gamu, Roxas, Mallig, Quezon),
• Apayao,
• Kalinga,
• Mountain Province,
• Abra,
• Ilocos Norte,
• Ilocos Sur

Meanwhile, those under TCWS No. 1, which could experience "strong winds within 36 hours," are:

• The rest of Isabela,
• Nueva Vizcaya,
• Quirino,
• Ifugao,
• Benguet,
• La Union,
• Pangasinan,
• Aurora,
• Nueva Ecija,
• Tarlac,
• Zambales,
• Pampanga,
• Bulacan,
• the northern portion of Bataan (Samal, Morong, Dinalupihan, Abucay, Orani, Hermosa),
• the northern portion of Quezon (General Nakar, Infanta) including Polillo Islands,
• Calaguas Islands

PAGASA said as of 1 p.m., Maring's center was estimated at 150 km east northeast of Aparri, Cagayan, or 170 km east southeast of Calayan, Cagayan (18.8°N, 123.0°E).

Maring, which is moving westward at 20 km/h, was packing maximum sustained winds of 95 km/h near the center, gustiness of up to 115 km/h, and central pressure of 980 hPa.

Maring is expected to bring "heavy to intense with at times torrential rains" over the following areas:

• Batanes,
• northern portion of mainland Cagayan including Babuyan Islands, Ilocos Norte,
• Ilocos Sur,
• Apayao,
• Abra,
• Mountain Province, 
• Benguet

On the other hand, the following areas may experience "moderate to heavy with at times intense rains":

• the rest of mainland Cagayan,
• Cordillera Administrative Region,
• Ilocos Region

Light to moderate with at times heavy rains over Central Luzon and the rest of Cagayan Valley.

"Under these conditions, scattered flash floods and rain induced landslides are highly likely especially in areas that are highly or very highly susceptible to these hazard as identified in hazard maps," PAGASA said.

Effects so far

Meanwhile, amid Maring's threat, 72 families or 224 individuals have been preemptively evacuation in Baggao, Cagayan, according to the Office of Civil Defense in Region II.

In Sta Ana, Cagayan, all barangays have reported power service interruption since 12 a.m. Monday.

Classes from pre-school to secondary were also suspended both in private and public schools in the entire Cagayan province.   —KBK, GMA News