THE country's 10th tropical cyclone this year, "Jolina," weakened into a severe tropical storm as it moved west northwest over mainland Masbate Tuesday afternoon, September 7, 2021.
As of 1 p.m. Tuesday, Jolina's center was spotted in the vicinity of Baleno, Masbate, with maximum sustained winds of 110 kilometers per hour (km/h) near the center, gusts of up to 135 km/h, and central pressure of 994 hPa. It was moving west northwest at 15 km/h.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said strong winds or higher extend outwards up to 180 km from the center of Jolina.
The weather bureau raised Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) Number 2 in Masbate, including Ticao and Burias Islands, the northern portion of Romblon (San Fernando, Cajidiocan, Magdiwang, Romblon, Corcuera, Banton, Concepcion, Calatrava, San Agustin, San Andres), Sorsogon, Albay (Polangui, Oas, City of Ligao, Guinobatan, Camalig, Daraga, Legazpi City, Manito, Jovellar, Pio Duran, Libon), the western and southern portions of Camarines Sur (Bato, Nabua, Balatan, Iriga City, Baao, Bula, Ocampo, Pili, Naga City, Canaman, Pamplona, Milaor, Gainza, Camaligan, San Fernando, Minalabac, Pasacao, Libmanan, Magarao, Cabusao, Bombon, Sipocot, Lupi, Ragay, Del Gallego), the western portion of Camarines Norte (Paracale, Jose Panganiban, Capalonga, Santa Elena, Labo, San Vicente, San Lorenzo Ruiz), the central and southern portions of Quezon (Tagkawayan, Guinayangan, Lopez, Buenavista, San Narciso, San Andres, San Francisco, Mulanay, Catanauan, General Luna, Macalelon, Calauag, Gumaca, Pitogo, Unisan, Atimonan, Plaridel, Agdangan, Padre Burgos, Quezon, Alabat, Perez, Mauban, City of Tayabas, Sampaloc, Lucban, Pagbilao, Lucena City, Sariaya, Candelaria, Dolores, Tiaong, San Antonio, Real), Laguna, the southeastern portion of Batangas (Santo Tomas, Malvar, Balete, Mataasnakahoy, Lipa City, Padre Garcia, Rosario, San Juan, Lobo, Taysan, Ibaan, Batangas City, San Jose, Cuenca), and Marinduque in Luzon.
Also under TCWS Number 2 are the western portion of Northern Samar (Lope de Vega, Catarman, Bobon, Victoria, San Jose, Rosario, Lavezares, Biri, Allen, San Isidro, San Antonio, Capul, San Vicente, Mondragon), the extreme northwestern portion of Samar (Calbayog City, Santo Niño, Almagro, Tagapul-An), and the northern portion of Biliran (Maripipi, Kawayan, Almeria).
Areas under TCWS 3 was already lowered to TCWS 2.
TCWS Number 1, meanwhile, was hoisted over the rest of Camarines Norte, the rest of Camarines Sur, the rest of Albay, Catanduanes, the rest of Romblon, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, the rest of Quezon, Rizal, the rest of Batangas, Cavite, Metro Manila, Bulacan, Bataan, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Zambales, Pampanga , the southern portion of Aurora (Dipaculao, Maria Aurora, Baler, San Luis, Dingalan), the southern portion of Quirino (Nagtipunan), the southeastern portion of Nueva Vizcaya (Dupax del Norte, Dupax del Sur, Alfonso Castaneda, Aritao, Santa Fe), and the southern portion of Pangasinan (San Nicolas, Natividad, San Quintin, Umingan, Balungao, Santa Maria, Asingan, San Manuel, Tayug, Sison, San Fabian, Pozorrubio, Laoac, Binalonan, City of Urdaneta, Rosales, Villasis, Santo Tomas, Alcala, Bautista, Bayambang, Malasiqui, Manaoag, San Jacinto, Mapandan, Santa Barbara, Mangaldan, Dagupan City, Calasiao, San Carlos City, Binmaley, Basista, Urbiztondo, Mangatarem, Aguilar, Lingayen, Bugallon, Infanta, Labrador, Sual, Mabini, Dasol).
The rest of northern Samar, the northern and central portions of Samar (Matuguinao, San Jose de Buan, Gandara, Santa Margarita, Paranas, San Jorge, Tarangnan, Pagsanghan, Motiong, Jiabong, City of Catbalogan, Hinabangan, San Sebastian, Calbiga, Pinabacdao, Villareal, Talalora, Santa Rita, Daram, Zumarraga), the northern of Eastern Samar (Jipapad, Arteche, Maslog, Dolores, Oras, San Policarpo), the rest of Biliran, the northern portion of Leyte (Calubian, San Isidro, Leyte, Tabango, Villaba, Matag-Ob, Kananga, Capoocan, Carigara, Jaro, Alangalang, San Miguel, Babatngon, Tacloban City, Santa Fe, Palompon, Isabel, Merida, Ormoc City, Dagami, Tabontabon, Tanauan, Pastrana, Barugo, Tunga, Palo, Tolosa, Burauen, Albuera), the northern portion of Cebu (Daanbantayan, Medellin, Santa Fe, Bantayan Islands, City of Bogo, San Remigio, Tabogon, Borbon, Tabuelan, Sogod, Tuburan, Catmon, Carmen, Danao City, Asturias, Compostela, Camotes Islands, Liloan, Consolacion, Cebu City, Balamban, Mandaue City), the northern portion Negros Occidental (Cadiz City, Manapla, Enrique B. Magalona, City of Victorias, Sagay City, City of Escalante, Toboso, Calatrava, Silay City), the northern portion of Iloilo (Carles, Estancia, Balasan, Batad, San Dionisio, Concepcion, Sara, Ajuy, Lemery, San Rafael, Barotac Viejo, City of Passi, Bingawan), Capiz, and Aklan are also under TCWS 1.
Pagasa said Jolina will continue to move in the next 12 hours generally west northwest, traversing Masbate and Ragay Gulf before making another landfall in the vicinity of southeastern Quezon Tuesday night, or early morning Wednesday, September 8.
In the next 24 hours, heavy to intense with at times torrential rains will be experienced over Masbate, Leyte, Biliran, Samar, Northern Samar, Sorsogon, Albay, Catanduanes, Camarines provinces, Southern Quezon, Romblon, and Marinduque, said Pagasa.
Moderate to heavy with at times intense rains will be experienced over Mindoro Provinces and the rest of Calabarzon and Visayas, it added.
Pagasa also warned of the threat of coastal inundation due to storm surge of up to 0.5-1.0 meters for several coastal localities of Biliran, Sorsogon, Samar, and Masbate.
It added that Jolina, in the next 24 hours, will bring rough to very rough seas over the seaboards of areas under TCWS 2.
Pagasa said that based on Jolina's forecast track, the severe tropical storm will cross Central Luzon (roughly to the east and north of Metro Manila) Wednesday or Thursday, September 9.
"Frictional effects during its traverse of Luzon landmass will weaken Jolina down to tropical storm category," it said.
Jolina was also forecast to emerge over the West Philippine Sea before noon on September 9 and re-intensification was forecast to occur beginning Thursday afternoon as the tropical cyclone moves west northwestward over the West Philippine Sea toward the southern China-northern Vietnam area. (LMY)