(Eagle News) — “Ambo” intensified into a tropical storm Tuesday night and is expected to “bring moderate to heavy rains over Eastern Visayas, Catanduanes, Albay, Sorsogon, and Masbate,” according to PAGASA’s 11 p.m. weather bulletin on May 12.
The country’s weather bureau said that Tropical Storm Ambo (international name VONGFONG) may even “further intensify as it approaches the Eastern Visayas-Bicol Region area.”
PAGASA issued a “heavy rainfall warning” last night, amd said that the trough of Tropical Storm Ambo will “bring scattered light to moderate with at times heavy rainshowers during thunderstorms over Mindanao and Eastern Visayas” until this evening, Wednesday, May 13.
By this evening, Wednesday, May 13, until Thursday evening (May 14), Ambo will bring “moderate to heavy rains over Eastern Visayas, Catanduanes, Albay, Sorsogon, and Masbate.”
“Residents in these areas are advised to take precautionary measures, coordinate with local disaster risk reduction and management offices, and continue monitoring for updates, especially the local rainfall or thunderstorm advisories and heavy rainfall warnings from PAGASA Regional Services Divisions (PRSD),” PAGASA warned.
“Flooding and rain-induced landslides may occur in highly to very highly susceptible areas during heavy or prolonged rainfall,” it said.
-Ambo moving northwards-
In its 11 p.m., advisory last night, PAGASA said that “Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) #1 may be raised over Eastern Samar and the eastern portion of Northern Samar in the next 6 to 12 hours in anticipation of strong winds associated with the approaching TS (Tropical Storm).”
“Disruption of maritime travel may be experienced in the areas,” it added.
“Moderate to rough seas will be experienced over the eastern seaboard of Bicol Region and the northern and eastern seaboards of Eastern Visayas in the next 24 hours. Sea travel is risky over these areas,” it added.
At At 10 p.m. Tuesday, May 12, the center of Tropical Storm “AMBO” was estimated based on all available data at 455 km East Northeast of Surigao City, Surigao del Norte or 400 km East of Guiuan, Eastern Samar (11.2 °N, 129.4 °E )
It was “moving North at 20 kph” with maximum sustained winds of 65 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 80 kph
By this evening, May 13, it is forecast to be “375 kilometers East of Catarman, Northern Samar(12.3°N, 128.1°E).”
By Thursday evening, May 14, it is forecast to be 30 km East Northeast of Catarman, Northern Samar(12.6°N, 124.9°E).
By Friday evening, May 15, it will be in the vicinity of Mabitac, Laguna, and by Saturday evening, it is forecast to be 45 kilometers west northwest of Laoag, Ilocos Norte.
PAGASA has not yet issued a Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal. The international name “VONGFONG”, meaning wasp, was contributed by Macao S.A.R. (China).
(Eagle News Service)