Still moving slowly, Severe Tropical Storm Kristine triggers more rain in Luzon
MANILA, Philippines – Severe Tropical Storm Kristine (Trami) continued to dump rain in much of Luzon on Thursday evening, October 24, as it slowly moved west toward the Lingayen Gulf.
As of 7 pm on Thursday, Kristine was located over the coastal waters of Bacnotan, La Union, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).
The severe tropical storm maintained its strength, with maximum sustained winds of 95 km/h and gustiness of up to 145 km/h.
From Thursday evening to Friday evening, October 25, or in the next 24 hours, Kristine is again expected to bring moderate to torrential rain. The following areas remain affected:
- Intense to torrential rain (more than 200 millimeters): Pangasinan, La Union, Zambales, Cavite, Batangas
- Heavy to intense rain (100-200 mm): Bataan, Metro Manila, Rizal, Occidental Mindoro
- Moderate to heavy rain (50-100 mm): Cordillera Administrative Region, rest of Ilocos Region, rest of Central Luzon, rest of Calabarzon, rest of Mimaropa, Antique, Aklan, Negros Occidental
For winds, there are no more areas under Signal No. 3. But PAGASA said that “due to the short-term wobbling in the motion of Kristine over [the] Lingayen Gulf and the increasing size of the wind field of the severe tropical storm, Metro Manila and portions of Cavite, Rizal, and mainland Quezon” were again placed under Signal No. 2. These areas had already been downgraded to Signal No. 1 earlier.
Below are the areas under tropical cyclone wind signals as of 8 pm on Thursday.
Signal No. 2
Gale-force winds (62 to 88 km/h), minor to moderate threat to life and property
- Cagayan including Babuyan Islands
- Isabela
- Quirino
- Nueva Vizcaya
- Apayao
- Kalinga
- Abra
- Ifugao
- Mountain Province
- Benguet
- Ilocos Norte
- Ilocos Sur
- La Union
- Pangasinan
- Aurora
- Nueva Ecija
- Tarlac
- Zambales
- Bataan
- Pampanga
- Bulacan
- Metro Manila
- northern part of Cavite (Ternate, Maragondon, Naic, Tanza, General Trias City, Rosario, Cavite City, Noveleta, Kawit, Imus City, Bacoor City)
- northern part of Rizal (Cainta, Taytay, Angono, San Mateo, Rodriguez, Tanay, Antipolo City, Baras, Teresa, Morong)
- northern part of mainland Quezon (General Nakar)
Signal No. 1
Strong winds (39 to 61 km/h), minimal to minor threat to life and property
- Batanes
- rest of Rizal
- rest of Cavite
- Batangas
- Laguna
- rest of Quezon
- Occidental Mindoro
- Oriental Mindoro
- Marinduque
- Romblon
- northern part of mainland Palawan (El Nido, Taytay, Araceli, San Vicente, Dumaran, Roxas) including Calamian, Cuyo, 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
- western part of Northern Samar (Lope de Vega, Rosario, Biri, San Isidro, Capul, San Vicente, Victoria, Lavezares, San Antonio, Mondragon, San Jose, Catarman, San Roque, Allen, Bobon)
- northern part of Samar (Calbayog City, Tagapul-an)
The weather bureau added that “the wind flow coming towards the circulation of Kristine, the northeasterly windflow, and southwesterly windflow” are still 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
In addition, there is still 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, and Zambales in the next 48 hours.
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Kristine had made landfall in Divilacan, Isabela, at 12:30 am on Thursday, then crossed Ifugao, Mountain Province, and Ilocos Sur. It emerged over Ilocos Sur’s coastal waters early Thursday afternoon.
Before hitting land, Kristine already triggered moderate to torrential rain that caused massive floods, with Bicol among the hardest-hit regions.
In the coming hours, the severe tropical storm is expected to move over the West Philippine Sea, where it might intensify. Afterwards, it may finally exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Friday afternoon.
But PAGASA reiterated that there is “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 “heavily depends on the behavior” of one of the two low pressure areas outside PAR, which is seen to develop into a tropical depression within 24 hours. This LPA was located 2,465 kilometers east of northeastern Mindanao on Thursday afternoon.
For coastal waters in the next 24 hours, up to very rough or high seas are expected in the seaboards of Zambales and Pangasinan (waves up to 7 meters high); remaining seaboard of Ilocos Region, seaboards of Cagayan Valley and Lubang Islands, as well as western seaboards of Bataan and Batangas (waves up to 6 meters high); western seaboards of Occidental Mindoro and Calamian Islands (waves up to 5.5 meters high); and western seaboard of northern Palawan including Kalayaan Islands as well as seaboard of northern Aurora (waves up to 4.5 meters high). Travel is risky for all vessels.
Up to rough seas are seen in the southern seaboard of Quezon, remaining seaboard of Mimaropa, and western and southern seaboards of Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental (waves up to 4 meters high); remaining seaboard of Aurora, seaboards of Camarines Norte and Catanduanes, as well as northern and eastern seaboards of Camarines Sur (waves up to 3.5 meters high); and remaining seaboards of Luzon and the Visayas (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 the country (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