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Quinta now a tropical storm, Signal No. 2 up over 8 areas


The tropical depression known as Quinta has intensified into a tropical storm on Sunday, PAGASA said in its early morning forecast.

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 2 was hoisted over the following eight areas in Luzon:

  1. Catanduanes;
  2. Camarines Norte;
  3. Camarines Sur;
  4. Albay;
  5. Sorsogon;
  6. the northern portion of Masbate (Baleno, Aroroy, Masbate City) including Burias and Ticao Islands;
  7. the southern portion of Quezon (Perez, Alabat, Quezon, Calauag, Guinayangan, Tagkawayan, Buenavista, San Narciso, San Andres, San Francisco, Mulanay, Catanauan, Lopez, General Luna, Macalelon, Gumaca, Pitogo, Unisan, Plaridel, Atimonan, Agdangan); and
  8. Marinduque.

 

Areas under TCWS No. 2 will have 61-120 km/h winds prevailing or expected in 24 hours.

Meanwhile, TCWS No. 1 was raised over the following areas:

Luzon

  1. The rest of Masbate;
  2. the rest of Quezon;
  3. Laguna;
  4. Rizal;
  5. Batangas;
  6. Cavite;
  7. Metro Manila;
  8. Bulacan;
  9. Pampanga;
  10. Bataan;
  11. the southern portion of Zambales (San Marcelino, San Felipe, San Narciso, Castillejos, Subic, San Antonio, Olongapo City, Botolan, Cabangan);
  12. Occidental Mindoro;
  13. Oriental Mindoro; and
  14. Romblon


Visayas

  1. Northern Samar;
  2. the northern portion of Samar (Calbayog City, Santa Margarita, Santo Nino, Almagro, Tagapul-An, Gandara, San Jose de Buan, Matuguinao, San Jorge, Tarangnan, Pagsanghan); and
  3. the northern portion of Eastern Samar (Maslog, Dolores, Oras, Jipapad, Arteche, San Policarpo)

 

Areas under TCWS No. 1 will have 30-60 km/h winds prevailing or expected in 36 hours.

Quinta (international name: Molave) is expected to continue moving westward toward the Bicol Region.

It is likely to intensify prior to making landfall over the Catanduanes-Albay-Sorsogon area on Sunday afternoon or evening.

The tropical storm is then expected to traverse Southern Luzon until Monday afternoon or evening, then turn west-northwest over the West Philippine Sea.

Quinta is "likely to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Tuesday afternoon," PAGASA said, and it may reach typhoon category by Tuesday evening.

Rainfall

Moderate to heavy rains, which may be intense at times, will be felt over the Bicol Region, CALABARZON, Aurora, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Romblon, Marinduque, Calamian Islands, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Samar, Biliran, Aklan, and Antique.

Meanwhile, the tail-end of a frontal system will also cause moderate to heavy, and at times intense, rains over the northern portions of mainland Cagayan including Babuyan Islands, Apayao and Ilocos Norte.

Metro Manila, Cordillera Administrative Region, Zamboanga Peninsula, Bangsamoro, Northern Mindanao, Caraga, and the rest of Visayas, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, and MIMAROPA will have light to moderate with at times heavy rains due to Quinta and the tail-end of a frontal system.

PAGASA warned of flooding, rain-induced landslides, and sediment-laden streamflows such as lahars during heavy or prolonged rainfall in areas prone to such hazards.

Winds, coastal waters

Areas under TCWS No. 2 will have gale-force winds, while strong to near-gale conditions will be felt in areas under TCWS No. 1.

Batanes, Babuyan Islands and the northern coastal areas of Ilocos Norte and mainland Cagayan will also have strong breeze to gale conditions due to the northeasterly surge.

Coastal areas will be rough to very rough over the entire seaboards of Northern Luzon and Aurora, Zambales, northern Palawan including Calamian and Kalayaan Islands, and all areas under TCWS Nos. 2 and 1.

Sea travel will be risky over these areas, especially for small seacraft.

Meanwhile, coastal waters will be moderate to rough over the rest of the country.

Location

At 4 a.m., the eye of Quinta was located at 345 km east of Virac, Catanduanes.

Quinta has maximum sustained winds of 65 km/h near the center and gustiness of up to 80 km/h.

It is moving westward at 20 km/h.

PAGASA is also monitoring Severe Tropical Storm Saudel which is outside the PAR.

At 4 a.m., the eye of Saudel was located at 1,125 km west of Northern Luzon.

Saudel has maximum sustained winds of 95 km/h near the center and gustiness of up to 115 km/h.

Its center is moving westward at 15 km/h heading towards central Vietnam.

PAGASA advised the public and disaster risk reduction and management councils concerned to take the necessary precautions and await the next severe weather bulletin at 8 a.m.

Preparations

The Bicol Region was already placed under red alert as of Saturday in preparation for Quinta.

Under red alert, all employees of government agencies in the region are on-call in case of emergency.

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) has also prepared measures against possible lahar flow and mudflow from Mayon Volcano, as well as landslides in areas near steep slopes, after the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology warned of potential lahar and sediment-laden streamflows on all river channels draining the slopes of Mayon Volcano due to Quinta.

The local government unit of Catanduanes on the other hand already prepared its evacuation centers and relief goods.

Some 5,000 families in the municipality of Baras may possibly be affected by the onslaught of the storm, the LGU said.

The Catanduanes government said residents in coastal barangays will be evacuated in case waves become bigger.

The OCD in Region 5 said it has already coordinated with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) to suspend trips going to Visayas and Mindanao starting Saturday until the lifting of the TCWS in Sorsogon.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development, in coordination with the RDRRMC Bicol, meanwhile, had already made preparations for family food packs, tents, blankets and other items, and stand-by funds, among others. —KG, GMA News

Tags: weather, quinta, molave, pagasa
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