Signal No. 3 up over 9 areas as Ursula lashes several provinces

Typhoon Ursula battered several provinces in Luzon and Visayas with destructive winds and intense rains on Christmas Day as it maintained its strength, state weather bureau PAGASA said Wednesday morning.

In its 8 a.m. severe weather bulletin, PAGASA said Ursula's eyewall was bringing very destructive winds and intense rainfall over southwestern Masbate, Aklan, Capiz, northern Antique, northeastern Iloilo, and Romblon.

The southern portion of Mindoro provinces will also be affected by the eyewall in the coming hours.

"In case of the passage of the eye in some of the aforementioned areas, calm conditions will be experienced. However, as soon as the eye moves out of the area, violent conditions associated with the eyewall will resume," PAGASA warned.

Rainfall

PAGASA said occasional to frequent heavy with intermittent intense rains may be expected over Masbate, northern Negros Provinces, Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Iloilo, Guimaras, Romblon, Calamian Islands, Cuyo Islands, and Mindoro Provinces until Wednesday night.

The yellow rainfall warning was raised over the Romblon group of islands, the 2nd District of Oriental Mindoro and Marinduque at 9 a.m. on Wednesday as these areas were seen to experience heavy rain (7.5 to 15 mm) in one hour which may continue in the next two hours.

Light to moderate rains with isolated heavy rain showers during thunderstorms may also be experienced over the Bicol Region, rest of Visayas, Calabarzon, Metro Manila, Marinduque, Aurora and the northern portion of mainland Palawan.

Residents were advised to take precautionary measures for possible floods and landslides.

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 3 is up over the following areas:

•     Western Masbate (Milagros, Aroroy, Mandaon, Balud)
•     Romblon
•     southern Oriental Mindoro (Roxas, Mansalay, Bulalacao, Bongabong, Bansud)
•     southern Occidental Mindoro (Calintaan, Rizal, San Jose, Magsaysay, southern portion of Sablayan)
•     Calamian Islands (Busuanga, Coron, Culion)
•     Capiz
•     Aklan
•     Northern Antique (Caluya, Libertad, Pandan, Sebaste, Culasi, Tibiao, Barbaza, Laua-an)
•     Northern Iloilo (Calinog, Bingawan, Passi City, San Enrique, San Rafael, Barotac Viejo, Ajuy, Lemery, Sara, Concepcion, San Dionisio, Batad, Estancia, Balasan, Carles)

Meanwhile, TCWS No. 2 was raised over:

•     southern portion of Quezon (Macalelon, General Luna, Catanauan, Mulanay, San Narciso, San Andres, San Francisco)
•     Marinduque
•     the rest of Oriental Mindoro
•     the rest of Occidental Mindoro including Lubang Island
•     Albay
•     Sorsogon
•     the rest of Masbate including Ticao and Burias Islands
•     Cuyo Islands
•     Extreme northern portion of mainland Palawan (Linapacan, El Nido, Taytay, Araceli)
•     Extreme northern Cebu including Bantayan Islands (Daanbantayan, Medellin, Bantayan, Sta. Fe, Madridejos, Bogo City, San Remigio, Tabogon,  Tabuelan)
•     the rest of Iloilo
•     the rest of Antique
•     Guimaras
•     northern Negros Occidental (Valladolid, Pulupandan, Bago City, Murcia, San Carlos City, Salvador Benedicto, Bacolod City, Talisay, Silay City, Enrique B. Magalona, Victorias City, Manapla, Cadiz City, Sagay City, Escalante City, Toboso, Calatrava)

The following areas, on the other hand, were placed under TCWS No. 1:

•     Bataan
•     Metro Manila
•     Rizal
•     Cavite
•     the rest of Quezon
•     Laguna
•     Batangas
•     Camarines Sur
•     Camarines Norte
•     Catanduanes
•     the rest northern mainland Palawan (Dumaran, San Vicente, Roxas)
•     Cagayancillo Islands
•     Northern Samar
•     Samar
•     Eastern Samar
•     Biliran
•     Leyte
•     Bohol
•     the rest of Cebu
•     the rest of Negros Occidental
•     Negros Oriental

Strong Winds

The northern portion of Palawan and most of Calabarzon will begin to experience moderate to strong winds on the morning of Christmas Day.

It will prevail in Metro Manila and Bataan between Wednesday morning and afternoon.

PAGASA warned that damaging gale to storm-force winds will begin affecting Calamian Islands and Cuyo Islands in the morning.

Destructive typhoon-force winds, on the other hand, will start prevailing in Mindoro Provinces between Wednesday morning and afternoon. Calamian islands may likewise experience this between the afternoon and evening.

Rough seas

PAGASA said that maritime travel is risky as rough waves may be present over the seaboards of areas under the TCWS, as well the seaboards of Aurora, and the northern and eastern seaboards of Mindanao.

It added that storm surge—one to two meters in height—may also affect several coastal areas in southern Masbate, Aklan, Capiz, northern Antique, northeastern Iloilo, Romblon, Marinduque, and Mindoro Provinces, Calamian Islands and Cuyo Islands in the next 24 hours.

As of 7 a.m., Ursula was located 30 kilometers northwest of Roxas City in Capiz ot 95 kilometers south-southeast of Romblon, Romblon.

The typhoon is packing maximum sustained winds of 140 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 195 kph.

It is moving west at 20 kph and is expected to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Saturday morning.

Ursula has already made four landfalls in Eastern Samar, Leyte, Biliran, and Iloilo since Tuesday afternoon.

Flights, ferry trips

Some flights scheduled for Wednesday have been canceled as a result of the bad weather.

The Pasig River Ferry also suspended its operations since Tuesday.

Some Filipinos and holiday travelers also had to spend Christmas Day and Christmas Eve in ports.

Over 800 maritime passengers were still stranded in Batangas Port as of Wednesday morning due to inclement weather.

Seventeen vessels were ordered to postpone their trips, leaving some 70 cargo trucks queuing around ports.

NDRRMC

No reported casualties have yet been received by authorities after Ursula passed through Eastern Visayas, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council Executive Director Undersecretary Ricardo Jalad said on Wednesday.

"As of this time wala pa [casualty]. Hopefully wala nang papasok," he said in an interview on Dobol B sa News TV aired on GMA News TV. —Dona Magsino/LBG/KG, GMA News