BY ELLALYN DE VERA-RUIZ
Tropical cyclone “Ulysses” (international name “Vamco”) has intensified into a typhoon and may unleash destructive winds and intense rains when it traverses Central Luzon towards Wednesday midnight until early Thursday.
In its 11 a.m. severe weather bulletin, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Ulysses was at 100 kilometers (km) north of Virac, Catanduanes and has gained more strength while still at sea.
It was packing maximum sustained winds of 125 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of up to 155 kph, while moving west-northwest at 20 kph. It may reach a peak intensity of 130 kph to 155 kph prior to landfall.
As a stronger Ulysses inches closer to the country, tropical cyclone wind signal number 3 was hoisted over Metro Manila, southern portion of Aurora, southern portion of Nueva Ecija, eastern portion of Pampanga, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, northern and central portions of Quezon including Polillo Islands, Catanduanes, Camarines Norte, and northern portion of Camarines Sur.
Signal number 2 was raised over the central and southern portions of Quirino, central and southern portions of Nueva Vizcaya, southern portion of Benguet, southern portion of La Union, Pangasinan, Zambales, Bataan, Tarlac, the rest of Pampanga, the rest of Nueva Ecija, the rest of Aurora, Batangas, the rest of Quezon, Marinduque, northern portion of Occidental Mindoro including Lubang Island, northern portion of Oriental Mindoro, the rest of Camarines Sur, Albay, Sorsogon, and Burias and Ticao Islands.
Signal number 1 was also up in Isabela, the rest of Quirino, the rest of Nueva Vizcaya, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, the rest of Benguet, Abra, Ilocos Sur, the rest of La Union, the rest of Occidental Mindoro, the rest of Oriental Mindoro, Romblon, the rest of Masbate, Northern Samar, northern portion of Samar, and northern portion of Eastern Samar.
Based on its forecast track, PAGASA weather specialist Ariel Rojas said Ulysses will move generally west throughout its passage.
It may move over the seas north of Catanduanes between Wednesday morning and afternoon and north of Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur between afternoon and evening.
“Due to the orientation of the track forecast, these provinces may fall within the inner rainbands or eyewall region of this typhoon during its passage,” PAGASA said.
Rojas pointed out that most destructive winds occur near the eyewall region.
Destructive winds and intense with at times torrential rainfall associated with the region of the eyewall and inner rainbands of the typhoon have started to affect the northern portions of Catanduanes, Camarines Sur, and Camarines Norte which may last until Wednesday evening and over Aurora and northern portion of Quezon through early Thursday morning.
Should it maintain its current track, Ulysses will likely make landfall over Polillo Islands and mainland Quezon provnce between Wednesday evening and early Thursday morning.
Afterwards, Ulysses will cross Central Luzon and emerge over the western seaboard of Zambales between Thursday morning and afternoon.
Rojas said Ulysses may slightly weaken as it crosses mainland Luzon due to frictional effects in the presence of the Sierra Madre and Zambales mountain ranges but will likely remain a strong typhoon throughout its journey.
The typhoon may bring destructive typhoon-force winds in areas under signal number 3, damaging gale- to storm-force winds in areas under signal number 2, and strong breeze to near gale conditions in areas under signal number 1.