PAGASA: Parts of northern Palawan still under Signal No. 2 as Verbena nears

Parts of northern Palawan remain under Tropical Cyclone Signal No. 2 as Tropical Storm Verbena continued to cross the Sulu Sea towards Palawan, the state weather bureau said on Tuesday night.

In its 11 p.m. tropical cyclone bulletin, PAGASA said the following storm signals are in effect over these areas:

Signal No. 2

Luzon:

• Calamian Islands and extreme northern portion of mainland Palawan (El Nido, Taytay, Araceli).

Signal No. 1

Luzon:

• Occidental Mindoro,
• Oriental Mindoro,
• The southern portion of Romblon (Santa Fe, Ferrol, Looc, San Jose), and
• The northern and central portions of Palawan (Dumaran, Roxas, San Vicente, Puerto Princesa City) including Cuyo and Cagayancillo Islands.

Visayas:

• Antique and the northwestern portion of Aklan (Malay, Buruanga, Nabas).

PAGASA said the tropical storm – which has slightly strengthened – was estimated to be over the coastal waters of Linapacan, Palawan as of 10 p.m. Tuesday and is moving northwestward at 15 km/h.

It is packing maximum sustained winds of 75 km/h near the center with gustiness of up to 105 km/h, and central pressure of 994 hPa.

“Verbena may reach severe tropical storm category as early as tomorrow and will continue to intensify until Thursday due to favorable environment. Afterwards, a weakening trend may occur due to the effect of the surge of the Northeast Monsoon,” the state weather bureau said.

Verbena is forecast to continue moving northwestward over the Sulu Sea and will make another landfall over the northern portion of Palawan tonight.

The tropical storm will then emerge over the West Philippine Sea on Wednesday morning, November 26, passing north of Kalayaan Islands by Wednesday evening.

Verbena is expected to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Thursday morning, November 27 and then turn west southwestward until Friday morning, November 28.

PAGASA issued a new gale warning as of 11 p.m. Tuesday covering the seaboards of Northern Luzon and the western seaboard of Southern Luzon, where very rough coastal water conditions are expected. — JMA, GMA Integrated News