Signal No. 3 up in parts of Masbate, Samar due to Typhoon Jolina

MANILA, Philippines — Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 3 has been raised over parts of Masbate, Samar and Biliran as Typhoon Jolina crosses the island municipalities of Samar province.

Jolina strengthened from a severe tropical storm into a typhoon on Monday night and later on made landfall in Hernani, Eastern Samar.

The weather disturbance also made landfall over Daram, Samar at 2 a.m. and Sto Niño, Samar at 3:40 a.m. 

State weather bureau PAGASA said the tropical cyclone was located over the coastal waters of Sto. Niño, Samar at 4 a.m. on Tuesday.

Jolina packs maximum winds of 120 kph and gustiness of up to 180 kph. It is moving west northwestward at 20 kph.

PAGASA raised tropical cyclone wind signals over the following areas:

Signal No. 3

(Destructive typhoon-force winds prevailing or expected within 18 hours)

• Eastern portion of Masbate (Pio V. Corpuz, Palanas, Cataingan, Placer, Dimasalang, Uson, Cawayan, Esperanza, Mobo)
• Ticao Island
• Extreme western portion of Northern Samar (San Vicente, Capul, San Antonio, San Isidro)
• Northern portion of Biliran (Kawayan, Culaba, Caibiran, Maripipi, Almeria)
• Northern and central portions of Samar (City of Catbalogan, Tarangnan, Jiabong, Motiong, Paranas, Calbiga, Pinabacdao, Villareal, Talalora, Daram, Zumarraga, San Sebastian, Hinabangan, Pagsanghan, Santo Niño, Tagapul-An, Almagro, Santa Margarita, Gandara, San Jorge, Calbayog City)

Signal No. 2

(Damaging gale-force winds prevailing or expected within 24 hours)

• Albay
• Sorsogon
• the rest of Masbate
• Burias Island
• western and southern portions of Camarines Sur (Del Gallego, Lupi, Ragay, Libmanan, Sipocot, Cabusao, Pasacao, Pamplona, Gainza, Camaligan, Canaman, Magarao, Bombon, Naga City, Pili, Ocampo, Iriga City, Sagñay, Buhi, Milaor, San Fernando, Minalabac, Bula, Nabua, Baao, Balatan, Bato, Calabanga)
• eastern portion of Marinduque (Torrijos, Santa Cruz)
• southeastern portion of Quezon (Tagkawayan, Guinayangan, Buenavista, Mulanay, San Narciso, San Francisco, San Andres, Catanauan, Calauag, General Luna, Lopez, Macalelon)
• eastern portion of Romblon (San Fernando, Magdiwang, Cajidiocan, Romblon, Banton, Corcuera)
• rest of Biliran
• western portion of Northern Samar (Silvino Lobos, Lope de Vega, Catarman, Bobon, San Jose, Rosario, Lavezares, Biri, Allen, Victoria, Mondragon)
• rest of Samar
• central and southern portions of Eastern Samar (Can-Avid, Taft, Sulat, San Julian, City of Borongan, Maydolong, Balangkayan, Llorente, General Macarthur, Quinapondan, Hernani, Salcedo, Mercedes, Guiuan, Balangiga, Lawaan, Maslog, Dolores, Giporlos)
• northern portion of Leyte (Calubian, San Isidro, Tabango, Leyte, Villaba, Matag-Ob, Ormoc City, Kananga, Carigara, Jaro, Dagami, Julita, Tabontabon, Tolosa, Tanauan, Palo, Pastrana, Santa Fe, Tacloban City, Barugo, San Miguel, Alangalang, Dulag, Tunga, Babatngon, Capoocan)

Signal No. 1

(Strong winds prevailing or expected within 36 hours)

• Catanduanes
• rest of Camarines Sur
• Camarines Norte
• rest of Quezon
• Polillo Islands
• Laguna
• eastern portion of Batangas (Santo Tomas, Lipa City, San Jose, Batangas City, Ibaan, Rosario, Padre Garcia, San Juan, Taysan, Lobo, City of Tanauan, Malvar, Balete, Mataasnakahoy, Cuenca, San Pascual)
• rest of Marinduque
• rest of Romblon
• northern and central portions of Oriental Mindoro (City of Calapan, Naujan, Victoria, Socorro, Pola, Pinamalayan, Gloria, Bansud, Bongabong, Roxas, Baco, San Teodoro, Puerto Galera)
• rest of Northern Samar
• rest of Eastern Samar
• rest of Leyte
• Southern Leyte
• northern portion of Cebu (Carmen, Tuburan, Catmon, Sogod, Tabuelan, Borbon, Tabogon, San Remigio, City of Bogo, Medellin, Daanbantayan)
• Camotes and Bantayan Islands
• northeastern portion of Iloilo (Concepcion, Sara, San Dionisio, Batad, Estancia, Carles, Balasan)
• extreme northern portion of Capiz (Pilar, Panay, Roxas City)

What to expect

Heavy rainfall

• Heavy to intense with at times torrential rains over: Eastern Visayas, Sorsogon and Masbate
• Moderate to heavy with at times intense rains over: the southern portion of Quezon, Romblon, Marinduque and the rest of Bicol Region and Visayas

Severe winds

• Destructive typhoon-force winds in areas under Signal No. 3
• Damaging gale-force to storm-force winds in areas under Signal No. 2

Coastal inundation

• Storm surge of up to 0.5 to 1 meter over: Eastern Samar, Samar and Masbate
• Rough to very rough seas (2.5 to 5.0 m) over: seaboards of areas under Signals No. 2 and 3
• Moderate to rough seas (1.2 to 2.8 m) over: seaboards of areas under Signal No. 1, the remaining seaboards of Visayas and the northern eastern seaboards of Mindanao

Jolina is forecast to weaken into a severe tropical storm as it moves over the Samar Sea and passes over or close to the island municipalities of Samar and the northern coast of Biliran.

PAGASA said the typhoon will make another landfall over the vicinity of Masbate (mainland or Ticao Island) within the next 12 hours. It is also forecast to make landfalls in the vicinity of southeastern Quezon by Tuesday night or Wednesday early morning and another one in the vicinity of northern Quezon by Wednesday afternoon.

Forecast track

• Wednesday morning: Over the coastal waters of San Andres, Quezon
• Thursday morning: In the vicinity of Capas, Tarlac
• Friday morning: 50 km west of Dagupan City, Pangasinan

— Patricia Lourdes Viray