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MANILA, Philippines – More areas were placed under tropical cyclone wind signals as Tropical Storm Ramon (Kalmaegi) slightly intensified while moving toward Northern Luzon on Sunday evening, November 17.

In a bulletin issued 11 pm on Sunday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Ramon now has maximum winds of 75 kilometers per hour (km/h) from the previous 65 km/h and gustiness of up to 90 km/h from the previous 80 km/h.

The tropical storm is already 220 kilometers east northeast of Casiguran, Aurora. It is still moving west at 15 km/h.

Below is the latest list of areas under tropical cyclone wind signals.

Signal No. 2 (winds of 61 km/h to 120 km/h)

• Cagayan, including Babuyan Group of Islands
• northern part of Isabela (Sta Maria, San Pablo, Maconacon, Cabagan, Sto Tomas, Quezon, Delfin Albano, Tumauini, Divilacan)

Signal No. 1 (winds of 30 km/h to 60 km/h)

• Batanes
• Ilocos Norte
• Abra
• Apayao
• Kalinga
• Mountain Province
• Ifugao
• northern part of Aurora (Dilasag, Casiguran, Dinalungan)
• rest of Isabela

Ramon will also continue to bring rain in the next 48 hours.

Monday, November 18

• Light to moderate rain with occasionally heavy rain
• Cagayan, including Babuyan Group of Islands
• Apayao
• Light to moderate rain with intermittent heavy rain
• Ilocos Norte
• Abra
• Kalinga
• Mountain Province
• Ifugao
• Quirino
• northern part of Aurora

Tuesday, November 19

• Light to moderate rain with occasionally heavy rain
• Cagayan, including Babuyan Group of Islands
• Apayao
• Abra
• Ilocos Norte
• Light to moderate rain with intermittent heavy rain
• Batanes
• Ilocos Sur
• Kalinga
• Mountain Province
• Ifugao
• Quirino
• northern part of Aurora

Flash floods and landslides remain possible. (READ: FAST FACTS: Tropical cyclones, rainfall advisories)

Travel also remains risky, especially for small vessels, in the seaboards of areas under Signal Nos. 1 and 2, the western seaboard of Northern Luzon, and the eastern seaboards of Central Luzon and Southern Luzon.

Based on Ramon’s latest forecast track, it might make landfall in the northern part of Cagayan between Monday evening, November 18, and Tuesday morning, November 19.

After hitting land, the tropical storm is projected to weaken into a tropical depression and then eventually into a low pressure area (LPA).

It could leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Thursday, November 21.

Ramon is the Philippines’ 18th tropical cyclone for 2019, and the 2nd for November.

Meanwhile, the LPA outside PAR is now 1,945 kilometers east of Eastern Visayas. It is expected to enter on Tuesday, possibly as a tropical depression already.

If it becomes a tropical depression and enters PAR, it would be given the local name Sarah. (READ: LIST: PAGASA’s names for tropical cyclones in 2019)

The country gets an average of 20 tropical cyclones annually, but since 2019 is an El Niño year, only 14 to 18 tropical cyclones are expected.

Below is the estimated number of tropical cyclones for the last two months of 2019:

• November – 1 or 2
• December – 0 or 1

PAGASA declared the start of the rainy season last June 14. – Rappler.com