MANILA, Philippines – Severe Tropical Storm Kristine (Trami) left the landmass of Luzon through the Ilocos Region early Thursday afternoon, October 24, but rainfall warnings and wind signals remain in effect given the tropical cyclone’s wide circulation.
Kristine had made landfall in Divilacan, Isabela, at 12:30 am on Thursday, then crossed Ifugao, Mountain Province, and Ilocos Sur. Before hitting land, it already triggered moderate to torrential rain that caused massive floods, with Bicol among the hardest-hit regions.
As of 1 pm on Thursday, the severe tropical storm was already over the coastal waters of Santa Cruz, Ilocos Sur. It is moving west southwest at a slightly slower 15 kilometers per hour from the previous 20 km/h.
Kristine maintained its strength, with maximum sustained winds of 95 km/h, but its gustiness eased from 160 km/h to 145 km/h.
After leaving landmass, Kristine is expected to move over the West Philippine Sea — where it might intensify — and exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Friday, October 25.
But the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in its 2 pm bulletin that there is now “a developing forecast situation” showing Kristine could be “looping” over the West Philippine Sea on Sunday, October 27, and Monday, October 28, and moving east or east northwest “toward the general direction of the PAR region.”
This scenario, added PAGASA, “heavily depends on the behavior” of the low pressure area outside PAR, which is seen to develop into a tropical depression within 24 hours. This LPA was located 2,230 kilometers east of northeastern Mindanao at 10 am on Thursday. Further updates are expected in succeeding bulletins.
Despite Kristine’s exit from landmass, it is still bringing rain to much of Luzon and a few areas in the Visayas. Here is PAGASA’s updated rainfall advisory as of 2 pm on Thursday:
Thursday afternoon, October 24, to Friday afternoon, October 25
- Intense to torrential rain (more than 200 millimeters): Pangasinan, Zambales, La Union, Occidental Mindoro
- Heavy to intense rain (100-200 mm): Cagayan Valley, Cordillera Administrative Region, rest of Ilocos Region, Tarlac, Pampanga, Bataan, Metro Manila, Cavite, Batangas, Calamian Islands
- Moderate to heavy rain (50-100 mm): Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Aurora, Laguna, Rizal, Quezon, Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Antique, Aklan, Negros Occidental, Palawan
Friday afternoon, October 25, to Saturday afternoon, October 26
- Heavy to intense rain (100-200 mm): Pangasinan, Zambales, La Union
- Moderate to heavy rain (50-100 mm): rest of Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, Bataan
Meanwhile, fewer areas are under tropical cyclone wind signals, also as of 2 pm.
Signal No. 3
Storm-force winds (89 to 117 km/h), moderate to significant threat to life and property
- Benguet
- Ilocos Sur
- La Union
- Pangasinan
Signal No. 2
Gale-force winds (62 to 88 km/h), minor to moderate threat to life and property
- Batanes
- Cagayan including Babuyan Islands
- Isabela
- Quirino
- Nueva Vizcaya
- Apayao
- Kalinga
- Abra
- Ifugao
- Mountain Province
- Aurora
- Nueva Ecija
- Tarlac
- Zambales
- Bataan
- Pampanga
- Bulacan
- Metro Manila
- Rizal
- Cavite
- western part of Batangas (Nasugbu, Lian)
- northern part of Quezon (General Nakar, Infanta) including Polillo Islands
- Lubang Islands
Signal No. 1
Strong winds (39 to 61 km/h), minimal to minor threat to life and property
- Laguna
- rest of Batangas
- rest of Quezon
- rest of Occidental Mindoro
- Oriental Mindoro
- Marinduque
- Romblon
- northern part of mainland Palawan (El Nido, Taytay, Araceli, San Vicente, Dumaran, Roxas) including Calamian Islands, Cuyo Islands, and Kalayaan Islands
- Camarines Norte
- Camarines Sur
- Catanduanes
- Albay
- Sorsogon
- Masbate including Ticao Island and Burias Island
- Aklan
- Capiz
- Antique including Caluya Islands
- Iloilo
- Bantayan Islands
- Northern Samar
- northern part of Samar (Santa Margarita, Almagro, Tagapul-an, Calbayog City, Santo Niño, Gandara, Matuguinao)
The weather bureau added that “the wind flow coming towards the circulation of Kristine, the northeasterly windflow, and southwesterly windflow” are bringing strong to gale-force gusts to the following:
Thursday, October 24
- rest of the Philippines outside wind signal areas
Friday, October 25
- Mimaropa, Bicol, Visayas, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte, Northern Mindanao, Zamboanga Peninsula, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Soccsksargen, Davao Region
Saturday, October 26
- Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Negros Island Region, Zamboanga del Norte, Siquijor, Bohol, Camiguin, Surigao del Norte, Dinagat Islands
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In addition, there is a minimal to moderate risk of storm surges “with peak heights of around 1 to 2 meters above normal tide levels” in Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Cagayan, Isabela, Aurora, and Zambales in the next 48 hours.
For coastal waters in the next 24 hours, PAGASA said up to very rough or high seas are expected in the seaboards of the Ilocos Region and Zambales as well as western seaboards of Batanes and Babuyan Islands (waves up to 8 meters high); western seaboard of Bataan and remaining seaboard of Cagayan Valley (waves up to 7 meters high); western seaboard of Batangas and seaboard of Lubang Island (waves up to 6 meters high); western seaboards of Occidental Mindoro and Calamian Islands (waves up to 5.5 meters high); and seaboard of Aurora, northern and eastern seaboards of Catanduanes, northern seaboard of Camarines Sur, and western seaboard of Western Visayas, Negros Occidental, and mainland Palawan (waves up to 4.5 meters high). Travel is risky for all vessels.
Up to rough seas are seen in the seaboards of Cuyo Islands, Polillo Islands, Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Camarines Norte, as well as western seaboards of Quezon and Negros Oriental (waves up to 4 meters high); remaining seaboards of Luzon and the Visayas (waves up to 3.5 meters high); and seaboards of Dinagat Islands, Camiguin, and Zamboanga del Norte, as well as northern and western seaboards of Surigao del Norte (waves up to 3 meters high). Small vessels should not venture out to sea.
Up to moderate seas will persist in the remaining seaboards of Mindanao (waves up to 2.5 meters high). Small vessels should take precautionary measures or avoid sailing, if possible.
Kristine is the country’s 11th tropical cyclone for 2024 and the first for October. – Rappler.com