MANILA (UPDATED) -- Three provinces have been placed under Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal (TCWS) Number 3 as Typhoon Ompong, with international codename Mangkhut, continues to threaten northern Luzon Friday, September 14.
The provinces of Northern Aurora, Isabela and Cagayan were placed under TCWS Number 3 on Friday morning, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said in its 8 a.m. advisory.
As of 8 a.m., the eye of the typhoon was located at 585 kilometers east of Baler, Aurora, still packing maximum winds of up to 205 kilometers per hour (km/h) near the center and gusts of up to 255 km/h. It is still moving west northwest at 20 km/h, said the state weather bureau.
Ompong is expected to make landfall in Cagayan-Isabela area early morning of Saturday, September 15.
TCWS Number 2 was hoisted over Batanes, Cagayan including Babuyan group of Islands, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Apayao, Abra, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, La Union, Benguet, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija, the rest of Aurora, Tarlac and Northern Zambales.
TCWS Number 1 was raised in Pampanga, Bataan, the rest of Zambales, Bulacan, Rizal, Metro Manila, Cavite, Batangas, Laguna, Quezon including Polillo Island, Northern Occidental Mindoro including Lubang Island, Northern Oriental Mindoro, Masbate, Marinduque, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Albay, Sorsogon, Burias and Ticao Island and Northern Samar.
Pagasa said occasional rains and gusty winds will be experienced over the areas under TCWS Number 1, while stormy weather is expected over areas under TCWS Number 2 and 3.
Pagasa said the southwest monsoon (habagat), which was enhanced by the typhoon, will bring moderate to occasionally heavy rains over Visayas, while scattered light to moderate to at times heavy rains will be experienced in Palawan, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao and Caraga.
Residents in these areas, especially those living near river channels, in low-lying areas and in mountainous areas, are advised to take appropriate actions against possible flooding and landslides, coordinate with local disaster risk reduction and management offices, and to continue monitoring for updates, said the weather bureau.
It also warned fisherfolk and those with small seacrafts against venturing out over the seaboards of areas with TCWS and the eastern seaboards of Visayas and Mindanao. (LMY/VLA/SunStar Philippines)