Typhoon “Nina” (international name “Nock-ten”) intensified further as it continues to move towards Catanduanes, prompting the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration to raise storm signals No. 1 and 2 in 17 areas in Luzon and Visayas yesterday.
At 4 p.m. yesterday, PAGASA located Nina at 320 kilometers northeast of Borongan City, Eastern Samar, with maximum sustained winds of 175 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 215 kph and moving west-northwest at 15 kph.
PAGASA is expected to make landfall over Catanduanes this afternoon or tonight.
Signal No. 1 was hoisted over Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Romblon, Masbate, including Ticao and Burias Island, Marinduque, Quezon, including Polillo Island, Samar, Eastern Samar, Biliran, and northern part of Leyte while Signal No. 2 was up in Catanduanes, Albay, Sorsogon, and Northern Samar.
Moderate to heavy rains will prevail over these areas.
This afternoon, Nina will be 95 kms east of Virac, Catanduanes and in the vicinity of Buliran, San Antonio, Quezon tomorrow afternoon.
On Tuesday afternoon, Nina will be 295 kms west southwest of Iba, Zambales and out of the Philippine Area of Responsibility Wednesday afternoon.
Rains with occasional gusty winds are expected over Albay, Catanduanes, Sorsogon, Masbate, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Northern Samar, and Eastern Samar today.
Cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and thunderstorms will be experienced over Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon, Biliran, Leyte, Samar, Southern Leyte, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Dinagat Islands, Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, and Romblon.
PAGASA said cloudy skies with light rains are expected over Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, and Zambales.
Partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms will prevail over the rest of the country.
PAGASA warned that sea travel is risky over the seaboards of Northern Luzon and the eastern seaboard of Central Luzon, Southern Luzon, and Visayas. (ELLALYN B. DE VERA)