'Amang' seen to hit Northern Samar on Pope's visit to Visayas

MANILA, Philippines - Several areas in the regions of Eastern Visayas and Bicol have been placed under a storm signal ahead of Pope Francis' visit to Leyte on Saturday.

Tropical Storm "Amang" was last located at 531 kilometers east of Borongan City and was slowly moving west towards Eastern Visayas, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said.

Amang has maximum sustained winds of 75 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 90 kph.

Heavy to intense rainfall was estimated within the 300-kilometer diameter of the storm.

PAGASA earlier said that the storm may not make landfall as it was seen to recurve north just before reaching Eastern Visayas.

But the agency's forecast before Friday noon shows the storm hitting landmass.

"Tropical Storm 'Amang' may hit Northern Samar tomorrow evening," PAGASA said.

In Luzon, public storm warning signal number 1 was hoisted over Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Albay, Burias Island, Sorsogon, Masbate and Ticao Island.

In the Visayas, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Samar, Biliran and Leyte were also placed under a storm signal.

There is also a possibility of raising a storm signal over Camarines Norte, Marinduque and Southern Quezon in the next hours, PAGASA said.

The agency is advising residents in low lying and mountainous areas of the provinces with the storm signal to be on alert against possible flashfloods and landslides.

Ocean waves may also reach up to more than six meters high, PAGASA warned.

Amang is expected to be at 180 kilometers east of Borongan City by Saturday morning and 40 kilometers northeast of Legazpi City by Sunday morning. The storm is seen to be within the vicinity of Baler, Aurora by Monday morning.

Pope Francis is scheduled to visit Tacloban City and Palo town in Leyte on Saturday to meet victims of Typhoon "Yolanda."

Rev. Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, was asked earlier if Pope Francis might alter his schedule due to the approaching storm.

"We hope there is not a hurricane, that it is only rain," Lombardi said. "If there is only rain, the pope has no fear of the rain — we see him in St. Peter's Square, he is ready to be in the rain! We hope it is not a particularly hard situation, but we will see." -with AP