TROPICAL Storm Ramon is forecast to make landfall over northern Cagayan between Monday night (November 18) and Tuesday morning (November 19), said the state weather bureau.
Aside from Ramon, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) is also monitoring a low pressure area (LPA), which was located still outside the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) as of 1 p.m. Monday.
Pagasa said the LPA was estimated at 1,365 kilometers east of Eastern Visayas and was forecast to enter PAR within 24 hours.
Ramon, meanwhile, continues to move northwestward and is now threatening northern Cagayan.
As of 1 p.m. Monday, November 18, the center of Ramon was located at 140 kilometers east northeast of Tuguegarao City, Cagayan, with maximum sustained winds of up to 85 kilometers per hour (km/h) near the center and gusts of up to 105 km/h.
Ramon is moving northwest at 15 km/h, said Pagasa. It is expected to be in the vicinity of Butao, Calanasan, Apayao by Tuesday morning, November 19.
As of 2 p.m., Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) Number 2 has been hoisted over Cagayan (including Babuyan Islands), northern portion of Isabela (Sta. Maria, San Pablo, Maconacon, Cabagan, Sto. Tomas, Quezon, Delfin Albano, Tumauini, and Divilacan), Apayao, Kalinga, and Ilocos Norte.
TCWS Number 1 was raised over Batanes, Ilocos Sur, Abra, Mountain Province, Benguet, Ifugao, La Union, Northern Aurora (Dilasag, Casiguran, and Dinalungan), and the rest of Isabela.
Pagasa said light to moderate with occasional heavy rains will be experienced over the eastern portions of mainland Cagayan and Isabela, while light to moderate with intermittent heavy rains will be experienced over the rest of mainland Cagayan and Isabela, Babuyan Islands, the northern portion of Aurora, Apayao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Abra, and Ilocos Norte.
By Monday night, November 18, moderate with occasional to frequent heavy rains will be experienced over Cagayan including the Babuyan Islands, the northern portion of Isabela, and Apayao, while light to moderate with intermittent heavy rains will be experienced over Batanes, Kalinga, Abra, Ilocos Norte, and the rest of Isabela.
On Tuesday, resident in northern Cagayan including Babuyan Islands, Batanes, Apayao, and Ilocos Norte will experience light to moderate with occasional heavy rains, while those in Isabela, Kalinga, Abra, Ilocos Sur, and the rest of Cagayan will experience light to moderate with intermittent heavy rains.
Pagasa warned residents in the aforementioned areas, especially those living in areas identified to be highly or very highly susceptible to flooding and rain-induced landslides, to take appropriate actions, coordinate with local disaster risk reduction and management offices, and continue monitoring for updates.
It said sea travel is risky, especially for small sea crafts, over the seaboards of areas under TCWS, the western seaboard of northern Luzon, and the eastern seaboards of Central and Southern Luzon due to prevailing or forecast rough sea conditions. (LMY/SunStar Philippines)