Isang develops into tropical storm; Signal No. 1 in 13 areas

Tropical cyclone Isang has gained strength as it moves to leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility, PAGASA said in its 5 a.m. Saturday bulletin.

Isang has developed into a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 65 km/h and gusts of up to 80 km/h. It was last seen 290 km west of Bacnotan, La Union, traveling westward at 25 km/h.

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 remains hoisted over 13 areas:

• Ilocos Norte
• Ilocos Sur
• La Union
• the northern portion of Pangasinan (Lingayen, City of Alaminos, Anda, San Fabian, Mangaldan, Mapandan, Burgos, Dagupan City, Binalonan, Bolinao, San Manuel, Sual, Labrador, Bani, Pozorrubio, Laoac, Mabini, Manaoag, Binmaley, San Jacinto, Bugallon, Infanta, Agno, Calasiao, San Nicolas, Santa Barbara, Dasol, Sison)
• Apayao
• Abra
• Kalinga
• Mountain Province
• Ifugao
• Benguet
• the western portion of Cagayan (Piat, Santo Niño, Tuao, Pamplona, Rizal, Claveria, Lasam, Ballesteros, Abulug, Allacapan, Sanchez-Mira, Santa Praxedes, Aparri, Camalaniugan, Alcala, Amulung, Solana, Enrile) including Babuyan Islands (Calayan Is., Dalupiri Is., Fuga Is.,)
• the western portion of Isabela (Cordon, Ramon, San Mateo, Aurora, San Manuel, Roxas, Mallig, Quezon, Santa Maria)
• the northwestern portion of Nueva Vizcaya (Bayombong, Ambaguio, Villaverde, Kayapa, Santa Fe, Aritao, Bambang, Solano, Bagabag, Diadi) 

The Ilocos Region will experience rains with gusty winds, while the Cordillera Administrative Region will have cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms because of Isang.

The trough of a low pressure area will bring cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms over Eastern Samar, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, and Davao Oriental.

The Southwest Monsoon (Habagat) will affect Occidental Mindoro, Metro Manila, Central Luzon, CALABARZON, the rest of Visayas, and the rest of MIMAROPA, Bicol Region, and the rest of Mindanao.

Localized thunderstorms are expected in the rest of Luzon.

PAGASA said Isang would exit the PAR on Saturday morning.

"It will gradually intensify and may reach typhoon category while approaching the waters south of Hainan, China," it added.

The Southwest Monsoon enhanced by Isang had caused floods and landslides while it crossed Northern Luzon on Friday.

According to Marisol Abdurahman’s report on “24 Oras,” a landslide occurred in San Vicente, Palawan. A pickup truck in Datu Blah Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Sur, was washed away by the raging river, and residents of Tantangan, South Cotabato, experienced knee-deep floods. –VBL, GMA Integrated News