But PAGASA says typhoon’s heavy rains to be felt starting tomorrow, Sunday, as Bising’s eye moves closer and its peak intensity is reached
(Eagle News) — More areas from Luzon to Mindanao were placed under signal no. 1 as typhoon “Bising” (international name SURIGAE) the country’s first typhoon this year, continued to rapidly intensify while moving west-northwestward over the Philippine Sea, with maximum sustained winds of 175 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 215 kph.
Satellite images shows Bising’s very wide diameter that it could practically cover the entire country. As of 4 a.m., the country’s weather bureau PAGASA located the typhoon’s cnter (eye of Typhoon “BISING”) at 705 km East of Surigao City, Surigao del Norte or 775 km East of Maasin City, Southern Leyte (10.3 °N, 131.9 °E). It is moving West Northwestward at 20 km/h
As of PAGASA’s 5 a.m. bulletin, the following areas in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao are under tropical cyclone wind signal (TCWS) no. 1:
Luzon
The central and eastern portions of Sorsogon (Castilla, Magallanes, Matnog, Juban, Irosin, Bulan, Santa Magdalena, Bulusan, Barcelona, Casiguran, Gubat, Prieto Diaz, Sorsogon City), the eastern portion of Albay (Manito, Legazpi City, Santo Domingo, Malilipot, Bacacay, Tabaco City, Rapu-Rapu, Malinaw, Tiwi), the eastern portion of Camarines Sur (Presentacion, Caramoan, Garchitorena), and Catanduanes
Visayas
Northern Samar, Samar, Eastern Samar, Biliran, Leyte, Southern Leyte, and Camotes Islands
Mindanao
Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte (including Siargao and Bucas Grande Islands), and Surigao del Sur
These areas will experience winds of 30-60 km/h, PAGASA said.
But PAGASA said that it would not be until tomorrow, Sunday, April 18, that Bising’s heavy rains would be felt. PAGASA forecasts the typhoon to bring “moderate to heavy with at times intense rains over Eastern Visayas, Sorsogon, Masbate, Albay, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, and Camotes Islands.”
There could be flooding (including flashfloods) and rain-induced landslides especially in areas identified in hazard maps as highly or very highly susceptible to these hazards.
“Tropical cyclone winds of at least strong breeze to near gale in strength extend outward up to 550 km from the center of the typhoon. Destructive typhoon-force winds extend outward up to 50 km from the center of the typhoon,” PAGASA said in its 5 a.m. bulletin today.
“Today, rough to very rough seas due to Typhoon “BISING” will be experienced over the eastern seaboards of Bicol Region (2.5 to 4.5 m), Eastern Visayas (2.5 to 6.5 m), Caraga (2.5 to 5.5 m) and Davao Region (2.5 to 3.0 m). Sea travel for all types of seacrafts is risky over these waters,” it said.
Bising is forecast to “move generally west-northwestward or northwestward over the Philippine Sea until tomorrow afternoon or evening.”
Afterwards, the typhoon will slow down and move northward or north-northeastward until Tuesday (20 April) early morning before moving north-northwestward over the Philippine Sea east of Northern and Central Luzon.
-Bising forecast to further intensify, reach peak intensity tomorrow, Sunday-
PAGASA said that the typhoon “rapidly intensified over the past 24 hours” due to “favorable atmospheric and oceanic conditions.”
“It is forecast to further intensify and reach its peak intensity (195 to 205 km/h) tomorrow,” it warned.
PAGASA said that Signal No. 1 could also be hoisted in its next bulletin over the eastern portion of Masbate, the northern portion of Cebu, and the other localities of Albay and Camarines Sur. This is in anticipation of the onset of strong breeze to near gale conditions associated with the approaching typhoon.
“Based on the current forecast scenario, TCWS #2 remains the highest level of wind signal that will be hoisted due to this typhoon. However, in the event of a further eastward or westward shift in the current track forecast, highest level of wind signal that will be hoisted for this typhoon may be lower or higher than the current scenario suggests,” it added.
PAGASA said that by Sunday morning, “Bising” is forecast to be 355 km East Northeast of Borongan City, Eastern Samar or 430 km East of Catarman, Northern Samar(12.3°N, 128.6°E).
“Bising” is the second tropical cyclone to enter the Philippines this year. The first was “Auring” which entered the country as a tropical depression and then intensified into a storm before eventually weakening into a tropical depression again before leaving the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) in February this year.
(Eagle News Service)