Signal No. 2 up over Cagayan, northern Isabela, Apayao, Kalinga due to Ramon

PAGASA raised Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 2 on Monday over Cagayan, parts of Isabela, as well as Apayao and Kalinga, as Tropical Storm Ramon (international name: Kalmaegi) intensifies as it moves toward northern Cagayan.

The areas in Isabela under TCWS No. 2 are Sta. Maria, San Pablo, Maconacon, Cabagan, Sto. Tomas, Quezon, Delfino Albano, Tumauini, and Divilacan.

All areas under TCWS No. 2 will experience winds of 61-120 kph in 24 hours.

TCWS No. 1, meanwhile, was raised over Batanes, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Abra, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Northern Aurora (Dilasag, Casiguran, and Dinalungan), and the rest of Isabela. These areas will experience winds of 30-60 kph in 36 hours.

From Monday morning to afternoon, the eastern portions of mainland Cagayan and Isabela will have light to moderate with occcasional heavy rains.

The rest of mainland Cagayan, Isabela, Babuyan Islands, Apayao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Abra and Ilocos Norte will have light to moderate with intermittent heavy rains.

On Monday night, Cagayan, Babuyan Islands and Apayao will have moderate with occasional to frequent heavy rains.

Batanes, Isabela, Kalinga, Abra and Ilocos Norte will have light to moderate with intermittent heavy rains.

Ramon is expected to make landfall over Northern Cagayan between Monday night and Tuesday morning. 

The storm may intensify prior to making landfall.

On Tuesday, Northern Cagayan including Babuyan Islands, Batanes, Apayao, and Ilocos Norte will have light to moderate with occasional heavy rains. Meanwhile, Isabela, Kalinga, Abra, Ilocos Sur, and the rest of Cagayan will have light to moderate with intermittent heavy rains.

PAGASA said residents of the above-mentioned areas, especially those living in areas prone to flooding and landslides, to take the necessary precautions, coordinate with local disaster risk reduction and management offices, and monitor weather updates.

Coastal waters over the seaboards of areas under TCWS, the western seaboard of Northern Luzon, and the eastern seaboards of Central and Southern Luzon will be rough, making sea travel risky especially for small sea vessels.

At 4 a.m., the eye of Ramon was located at 210 km east northeast of Casiguran, Aurora or 225 km east of Tuguegarao City, Cagayan.

Ramon has maximum sustained winds of up to 85 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 105 kph.

It is moving northwest at 10 kph.

By Thursday, Ramon is expected to be outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).

LPA

Meanwhile, PAGASA is also monitoring a low pressure area (LPA) outside the PAR.

At 4 a.m., the LPA was located at 1,860 km east of Eastern Visayas.

It is expected to enter PAR on Tuesday.

PAGASA said the next severe weather bulletin will be issued at 8 a.m. today

Class cancellations

Cagayan has declared class cancellations in all levels in public and private schools from preschool to graduate school due to Tropical Storm Ramon.

Meanwhile, some areas in Apayao and Isabela also declared class cancellations.

Evacuations

Some towns in Cagayan implemented forced and preemptive evacuation of residents before the expected landfall of Ramon, according to a report on GMA News' Unang Balita on Monday.

The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office in Cagayan said more than 80 families have been evacuated from landslide- and flood-prone areas.

The province also imposed a liquor ban starting at 6 a.m. on Monday to ensure residents' safety. —KG, GMA News