THE state weather has warned residents in La Union and Pangasinan of a possible two-meter storm surge and advised people in Babuyan Islands to prepare as Severe Tropical Storm Ramon is expected to make landfall in the area today, November 19.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said in its 2 p.m. advisory that Ramon may make landfall Tuesday afternoon or evening but due to the land interaction and the northeast Monsoon, it will weaken following landfall.
As of 1 p.m. Tuesday, the center of Ramon was located at 120 kilometers east of Calayan, Cagayan, packing maximum winds of up to 120 kilometers per hour (km/h) and gusts of up to 165 km/h.
Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) Number 3 has been hoisted over the northern portion of Cagayan (Santa Praxedes, Claveria, Sanchez Mira, Pamplona, Abulug, Ballesteros, Aparri, Calayan, Camalaniugan, Buguey, Santa Teresita, Gonzaga, and Santa Ana).
Batanes, Apayao, Kalinga, Abra, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, and the rest of Cagayan remained under TCWS Number 2, while the northern portion of Isabela (Sta. Maria, San Pablo, Maconacon, Cabagan, Sto. Tomas, Quezon, Delfin Albano, Tumauini, Divilacan, Quirino, Roxas, Mallig, San Manuel, Burgos, Gamu and Ilagan City), Mountain Province, Benguet, Ifugao, La Union, and Pangasinan remained under TCWS Number 1.
Pagasa said moderate with frequent heavy rains will be experienced Tuesday over Batanes, the northern portion of Cagayan including the Babuyan Islands, Apayao, and the northern portion of Ilocos Norte, while the northern portion of Isabela, Kalinga, Abra and the rest of Cagayan and Ilocos Sur will experience light to moderate with intermittent heavy rains.
On Wednesday, November 20, light to moderate with occasional heavy rains will be experienced over Batanes, northern portion of Cagayan including the Babuyan Islands, and Apayao, while Isabela, the rest of Cagayan, northern portion of Aurora, Kalinga, and Ilocos Norte will experience light to moderate with intermittent heavy rains, it added.
Pagasa has advised 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.
Pagasa is also monitoring a low pressure area (LPA) that was spotted as of 1 p.m. at 670 kilometers east of Borongan City, Eastern Samar.
The LPA is expected to develop into a tropical depression within 12 hours, said the weather bureau. (EZN/SunStar Philippines)