MANILA, Philippines - Storm signals were hoisted over 34 areas on Friday after Typhoon "Ruby" gained more strength and continued to move toward Eastern Visayas.
At 4 a.m. today, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) spotted the center of Ruby at 500 kilometers east of Borongan, Eastern Samar.
Ruby was packing strength maximum sustained winds of 215 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 250 kph. The typhoon slowed down and was forecast to move west northwest at 13 kph.
PAGASA said heavy to intense rainfall amount was estimated within the 700-kilometer diameter of the typhoon.
The following areas were placed under public storm warning signals on Friday morning:
Signal No. 2
Sorsogon
Ticao Island
Masbate
Northern Samar
Eastern Samar
Samar
Biliran
Leyte
Southern Leyte
Northern Cebu
Cebu City
Bantayan Island
Camotes Island
Surigao del Sur
Agusan del Norte
Surigao del Norte
Dinagat Island
Siargao Island
Signal No. 1
Catanduanes
Albay
Camarines Norte
Camarines Sur
Burias Island
Romblon
Capiz
Iloilo
Negros Oriental
Negros Occidental
Rest of Cebu
Siquijor
Bohol
Misamis Oriental
Agusan del Sur
Camiguin Island
PAGASA said Ruby and the northeast monsoon will bring rough to very rough sea conditions over the seaboards of Northern Luzon, eastern seaboard of Central and Southern Luzon, over the seaboards of Visayas and over the northern and eastern seaboards of Mindanao.
The agency expects Ruby to be at 230 kilometers east of Borongan, Eastern Samar by Saturday morning and at 85 kilometers southeast of Catarman, Northern Samar by Sunday morning. It will be in the vicinity of Romblon, Romblon on Monday.