Ramil slightly weakens, Signal No. 2 still up in 8 areas

Eight areas remain under Signal No. 2 as Ramil slightly weakens over the coastal waters of Northern Samar.

In its 2 pm advisory, PAGASA raised the following Tropical Cyclone Wind Signals:

Signal No. 2

• The northern portion of Aurora (Casiguran, Dilasag, Dinalungan),
• Polillo Islands
• Camarines Norte
• Catanduanes
• The northern portion of Camarines Sur (Tinambac, Siruma, Goa, San Jose, Lagonoy, Garchitorena, Caramoan, Presentacion),
• The extreme eastern portion of Albay (Rapu-Rapu)
• The northeastern portion of Sorsogon (Prieto Diaz)
• The northeastern portion of Northern Samar (Laoang, Palapag, Mapanas, Pambujan, San Roque, Mondragon, Gamay)

Signal No. 1

• Cagayan including Babuyan Islands
• Isabela
• Quirino
• Nueva Vizcaya
• Apayao
• Abra
• Kalinga
• Mountain Province
• Ifugao
• Benguet
• Ilocos Norte
• Ilocos Sur
• La Union
• The rest of Aurora
• Nueva Ecija
• The eastern portion of Bulacan (Doña Remedios Trinidad, Norzagaray, San Miguel, San Ildefonso, San Rafael, Angat)
• The eastern portion of Tarlac (Camiling, San Clemente, Santa Ignacia, Paniqui, Moncada, San Manuel, Anao, Ramos, Pura, Victoria, City of Tarlac, La Paz, Concepcion, Gerona)
• The eastern portion of Pampanga (Magalang, Arayat, Candaba)
• The northern and eastern portions of Quezon (Tagkawayan, Perez, Alabat, Quezon, Atimonan, Padre Burgos, Unisan, Gumaca, Plaridel, Agdangan, Pagbilao, Mauban, Calauag, Guinayangan, Lopez, Pitogo, Macalelon, General Luna, Catanauan, San Narciso, Buenavista, San Francisco, San Andres, Mulanay, General Nakar, Infanta, Real, Sampaloc)
• The rest of Camarines Sur
• The rest of Albay
• The rest of Sorsogon
• TBurias Island
• Ticao Island
• The rest of Northern Samar
• The northern portion of Eastern Samar (San Policarpo, Arteche, Oras, Dolores, Maslog, Jipapad, Taft, Can-Avid)
• The northern portion of Samar (Matuguinao, San Jose de Buan, Calbayog City, Gandara, Santa Margarita, Pagsanghan, San Jorge, Tagapul-An, Almagro, Santo Niño, Tarangnan, Paranas, City of Catbalogan, Jiabong, Motiong)

Ramil was last spotted over the coastal waters of Laoang, Northern Samar, packing maximum sustained winds of 65 km/h near the center, gustiness of up to 90 km/h, and central pressure of 998 hPa .

"RAMIL is now starting to remain almost stationary off the coast of Northern Samar and will likely do so in the next several hours," said PAGASA.

"Although the most likely highest wind signal that will be hoisted is Wind Signal 2, the worst case scenario remains Wind Signal No. 3 due to the possibility of reaching severe tropical storm category before landfall," added PAGASA. 

PAGASA also forecast strong to gale-force gusts over the following areas not under Wind Signal due to Ramil and the easterlies:

• Today: Cagayan Valley, CALABARZON, Metro Manila, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Marinduque, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Masbate, Caluya Islands, Samar, Eastern Samar, and Biliran

• Tomorrow (19 October): Central Luzon, Metro Manila, CALABARZON, Marinduque, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, and Catanduanes.

Ramil is expected to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Monday (20 October) morning.

Classes were suspended in some areas on Saturday due to the expected effects of Ramil.

Residents of Catanduanes living along the coast evacuated on Saturday.

Sea travel was also suspended in some areas as PAGASA raised a gale warning. —VAL, GMA Integrated News