MANILA -- "Nina" now threatens the Catanduanes province in Luzon after it intensified into a severe tropical storm Friday evening, the state weather bureau said.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said that Nina is expected to intensify further before making landfall in Catanduanes by Sunday, December 25 with estimated rainfall amount from moderate to heavy rains.
Pagasa said the Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal (TCWS) number 1 may be raised over provinces of Camarines Sur, Albay, Catanduanes, Sorsogon, Northern Samar and Eastern Samar in 36 hours.
It is said that as of 11 p.m. Friday, December 23, the center of Nina was located at 570 kilometers east northeast of Borongan City, Eastern Samar. The storm was packing maximum winds of up to 115 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gusts of up to 145 kph.
Pagasa warned the public of risky sea travel over the seaboards of Northern Luzon.
It is said that Nina was forecast to move west northwest at 19 kph; thus, will be locatedin the vicinity of Eastern Samar by Saturday evening; 20 kilometers east of Virac, Catanduanes by Sunday evening; 95 kilometers southwest of Subic, Olongapo by Monday evening; 415 kilometers west of Iba, Zambales by Tuesday evening; and 770 kilometers west of Iba, Zambales outside of the Philippine Area of Responsibility by Wednesday evening. (Sunnex)