MORE and more areas in Luzon and Visayas have been placed on storm alert, as Typhoon Tisoy has increased its threat while moving closer toward Northern Samar, Albay and Sorsogon area, the state weather bureau said.
As of 1 p.m. Monday, December 2, the center of Tisoy was located at 195 kilometers east of Juban, Sorsogon, packing maximum winds of up to 150 kilometers per hour (km/h) near the center and gusts of up to 185 km/h.
It is moving west at 20 km/h and is forecast to make landfall over Catanduanes, Albay or Sorsogon between Monday night and early morning Tuesday, December 3.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) has raised Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) Numbers 3, 2, and 1 in the following areas:
TCWS Number 3
* Catanduanes
* Camarines Sur
* Albay
* Sorsogon
* Southern portion of Camarines Norte (Daet, San Vincente, San Lorenzon Ruiz, Basud, Mercedes)
* Masbate including Ticao and Burias Islands
* Romblon
* Southern portion of Quezon (Mulanay, San Narciso, San Francisco, San Andres)
* Northern Samar
* Northern portion of Eastern Samar (Can-avid, Dolores, Maslog, Oras, Arteche, Jipapad, San Policarpio)
* Northern portion of Samar (Catbalogan, Jiabong, Motiong, Paranas, San Jose de Buan, San Jorge, Pagsanghan, Tarangnan, Sta. Margarita, Gandara, Matuguinao, Calbayog, Tagapul-an, Almagro, Sto. Niño)
TCWS Number 2
* Metro Manila
* Bulacan
* Bataan
* Tarlac
* Pampanga
* Nueva Ecija
* Southern Aurora (Dipaculao, Maria Aurora, Baler, San Luis, Dingalan)
* Cavite
* Batangas
* Laguna
* Rizal
* Rest of Quezon including Polillo Islands
* Oriental Mindoro
* Occidental Mindoro
* Marinduque
* Rest of Camarines Norte
* Calamian Islands
* Southern portion of Zambales (San Marcelino, San Antonio, Castillejos, Subic, Olongapo)
* Rest of Eastern Samar
* Rest of Samar
* Biliran
* Aklan
* Capiz
* Northern portion of Antique (Valderrama, Bugasong, Laua-an, Barbaza, Tibiao, Culasi, Sebaste, Pandan Libertad)
* Northern portion of Iloilo (Janiuay, Badiangan, Pototan, Barotac Nuevo, Anilao, Dingle, Dueñas, Lambunao, Calinog, Passi, San Enrique, Banate, Barotac Viejo, San Rafael, Bingawan, Lemery, Ajuy, Sara, Concepcion, San Dionisio, Batad, Estancia, Balasan, Carles)
* Northern portion of Negros Occidental (Talisay, Calatrava, Silay, Enrique B. Magalona, Victorias, Manapla, Cadiz, Sagay, Escalante, Toboso)
* Northern Cebu (Daanbantayan, Bantayan, Madridejos, Santa Fe, Medellin, Bogo City, San Remigio, Tabogon, Tabuelan, Tuburan, Carmen, Borbon, Sogod, Catmon, Asturias, and Camotes Islands)
* Northern portion of Leyte (Baybay, Mahaplag, Abuyog, Javier, Macarthur, Mayorga, La Paz, Dulag, Albuera, barauen, Julita, Tolosa, Tanauan, Tabontabon, Dagami, Pastrana, Palo, Sta. Fe, Tacloban, Alangalang, Jaro, Babatngon, San Miguel, Barugo, Tunga, Carigara, Capoocan, Leyte, Calubian, San Isidro, Tabango, Villaba, Kananga, Matag-ob, Palompon, Isabel, Merida, Ormoc)
TCWS Number 1
* Southern Isabela (Palanan, Dinapique, San Mariano, San Guillermo, Benito Soliven, Naguilian, Reina Mercedes, Luna, Aurora, Cabatuan, San Mateo, Cauayan City, Alicia, Angadanan, Ramon, San Isidro, Echague, Cordon, Santiago City, Jones and San Agustin)
* Mountain Province
* Ifugao
* Benguet
* Nueva Vizcaya
* Ilocos Sur
* La Union
* Pangasinan
* Quirino
* Rest of Aurora
* Rest of Zambales
* Rest of Antique
* Rest of Iloilo
* Guimaras
* Rest of Negros Occidental
* Metro Cebu (Balamban, Toledo City, Pinamungahan, Aloguinsan, Naga City, Talisay City, Cordova, Minglanilla, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, Cebu City, Consolacion, Liloan, Compostela, and Danao City)
* Rest Leyte
* Southern Leyte
* Dinagat Islands
* Siargao Island
Pagasa warned against occasional heavy rains over Bicol Region, Samar provinces and Biliran and intermittent heavy rains over northern Cebu, northern Negros Island, Dinagat Islands, Siargao Island, and the rest of Eastern Visayas.
It said that frequent to continuous heavy to intense rains will be experienced Monday afternoon, December 2, and Tuesday noon, December 3, in Bicol Region, Northern Samar, Southern Quezon, and Marinduque.
"Occasional heavy rains over Romblon, Mindoro Provinces, Samar, Eastern Samar and the rest of Calabarzon. Intermittent heavy rains over Metro Manila, Central Luzon, eastern portions of Cagayan and Isabela, and the rest of Eastern Visayas," it said in an advisory.
Pagasa also said that between Tuesday noon and Wednesday noon, frequent to continuous heavy to intense rains will be experienced over Central Luzon, Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Bicol Region, Mindoro Provinces, Marinduque, and Romblon, and intermittent to occasional heavy rains over Cordillera Administrative Region, Cagayan Valley, Pangasinan, Aklan, Capiz, and northern Antique.
"Residents in the aforementioned areas, especially those living in areas identified to be highly or very highly susceptible to flooding and rain-induced landslides, are advised to take appropriate actions, coordinate with local disaster risk reduction and management offices, and continue monitoring for updates," Pagasa said.
The weather bureau also warned of possible three-meter storm surge over several coastal areas in Camarines Norte (Mercedes and Mandao), Camarines Sur (Cabusao, Bombon, Calabanga, Tinambac, and Sipocot), and Catanduanes (Bagamanoc, Baras, Bato, Viga, Panganiban and Gigmoto).
It said one- to three-meter storm surge is also possible over several coastal areas in Quezon, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, and Samar.
"Sea travel is risky over the seaboards of areas under TCWS, the seaboards of northern Luzon, the western seaboard of Palawan, central seaboards of Visayas, and the northern and eastern seaboards of Mindanao due to prevailing or forecast rough sea conditions which may be perilous for maritime activities, especially for those using small seacrafts," said Pagasa.
"Gusty conditions may also be experienced in areas in northern Luzon that are not under any TCWS (especially in the coastal and mountainous zones) due to the Northeast Monsoon," it added.
Tisoy is forecast to be in the vicinity of Torrijos, Marinduque by Tuesday morning, December 3. (LMY/SunStar Philippines)