MANILA, Philippines (Updated 9:58 p.m.) — Tropical Storm Ulysses has intensified into a severe tropical storm Tuesday night with more areas in Bicol Region and now including Quezon placed under Signal No. 2.
PAGASA in its latest bulletin said Ulysses now has the strength of 95 kph peak winds and 115 kph gusts as it moves at a west northwestward direction at an increased speed of 30 kph.
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The severe tropical storm was last seen at 425 km east of Daet in Camarines Norte and may become a typhoon by Wednesday morning, with peak intensity of 130 to 155 kph.
Ulysses may make landfall over Quezon province on Thursday, with a close approach by Wednesday in Catanduanes-Camarines Norte area which are still reeling from the onslaught of Super Typhoon Rolly.
These areas are under Signals No. 2 and 1 as of 8 p.m. of November 10:
Signal No. 2
(61 to 120 kph winds expected in 24 hours)
- Central and southern portions of Quezon (Atimonan, Pagbilao, Padre Burgos, Agdangan, Unisan, Plaridel, Gumaca, Pitogo, Macalelon, General Luna, Catanauan, Mulanay, San Francisco, San Andres, San Narciso, Buenavista, Lopez, Guinayangan, Calauag, Tagkawayan, Quezon, Alabat, Perez) including Polillo Islands
- Catanduanes
- Camarines Norte
- Camarines Sur
- Albay
- Sorsogon
- Burias and Ticao Islands
- Marinduque
Signal No. 1
(30 to 60 kph winds expected in 36 hours)
- Mountain Province
- Ifugao
- Benguet
- La Union
- Pangasinan
- central and southern portions of Isabela (Quezon, Delfin Albano, Tumauini, Divilacan, Mallig, Quirino, Ilagan, Palanan, San Mariano, Benito Soliven, Naguilian, Gamu, Burgos, Roxas, San Manuel, Aurora, Luna, Reina Mercedes, Cauayan City, Cabatuan, San Mateo, Alicia, Angadanan, San Guillermo, Dinapigue, Echague, San Isidro, Ramon, Santiago City, Cordon, Jones, San Agustin)
- Quirino
- Nueva Vizcaya
- Aurora
- Nueva Ecija
- Tarlac
- Pampanga
- Bulacan
- Zambales
- Bataan
- Metro Manila
- rest of Quezon
- Rizal
- Laguna
- Cavite
- Batangas
- rest of Masbate
- Romblon
- Oriental Mindoro
- Occidental Mindoro including Lubang Island
- Northern Samar
- northern portion of Samar (Santo Nino, Almagro, Tagapul-An, Tarangnan, Calbayog City, Santa Margarita, Gandara, Pagsanghan, San Jorge, San Jose de Buan, Matuguinao)
- northern portion of Eastern Samar (Maslog, Dolores, Oras, San Policarpo, Arteche, Jipapad)
The tail-end of a cold front, meanwhile, is expected to bring light to moderate with occasional heavy rains over Cagayan including Babuyan Islands, Isabela, Apayao and Ilocos Norte, PAGASA said.
Areas of Aurora, Quezon, Bicol, eastern and central Visayas, as well as Caraga, northern Mindanao, Zamboanga Peninsula and Bangsamoro will in turn experience light to moderate with ocassional heavy rains due to Ulysses.
Beginning early morning of Wednesday, forecasters said moderate to heavy rains associated with the rainbands of Ulysses will start to affect Bicol, portions of Quezon as well as Samar provinces.
Hazards
The weather agency has warned too that there is a moderaste to high risk of storm surge that could reach 1 to 2 meters over the coastal areas of these places:
- CALABARZON
- Aurora
- Camarines provinces
- Catanduanes
- Albay
- Metro Manila
- Bulacan
- Pampanga
- Romblon
- Marinduque
- western coastal area of Masbate including Burias Island
- northern coastal areas of Occidental and Oriental Mindoro including Lubang Island
"These storm surges, which may be accompanied by swells and breaking waves reaching the coast can cause life-threatening and damaging coastal inundation," PAGASA said.
Rough to very rough seas reaching between 2.5 to 5 meters will also prevail over the seaboards of northern Luzon and seaboards of Kalayaan Islands due to the northeast monsoon or Amihan's surge.
The same could be expected over the seaboards of areas under storm warning signals, as well as the eastern seaboard of eastern Samar due to "Ulysses".
Forecast Positions
- Wednesday afternoon: 55 km East Northeast of Daet, Camarines Norte
- Thursday afternoon: 225 km West of Subic, Zambales
- Friday afternoon: 700 km West of Subic, Zambales
- Saturday afternoon: 1,130 km West of Northern Luzon
— Christian Deiparine