What’s the weather like in your area? Tweet us at @rapplerdotcom.

MANILA, Philippines – Typhoon Ramon (Kalmaegi) stayed almost stationary early Tuesday afternoon, November 19, posing a bigger threat to the Babuyan Group of Islands as it lingers.

In a bulletin issued 2 pm on Tuesday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Ramon is still 120 kilometers east of Calayan, Cagayan, unchanged from its position late Tuesday morning.

The typhoon continues to have maximum winds of 120 kilometers per hour (km/h) and gustiness of up to 165 km/h.

So far, Ramon is still expected to make landfall in the Babuyan Group of Islands between Tuesday afternoon and evening.

It is forecast to gradually weaken after hitting land, “due to the land interaction and the northeast monsoon,” said PAGASA.

The same areas are under tropical cyclone wind signals.

Signal No. 3 (winds of 121 km/h to 170 km/h)

• northern part of Cagayan (Santa Praxedes, Claveria, Sanchez Mira, Pamplona, Abulug, Ballesteros, Aparri, Calayan, Camalaniugan, Buguey, Santa Teresita, Gonzaga, Santa Ana)

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

• rest of Cagayan
• Batanes
• Apayao
• Kalinga
• Abra
• lIocos Norte
• Ilocos Sur

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

• northern part of Isabela (Sta Maria, San Pablo, Maconacon, Cabagan, Sto Tomas, Quezon, Delfin Albano, Tumauini, Divilacan, Quirino, Roxas, Mallig, San Manuel, Burgos, Gamu, Ilagan City)
• Mountain Province
• Benguet
• Ifugao
• La Union
• Pangasinan

Below is PAGASA’s latest rainfall outlook. The state weather bureau reiterated that heavy rain could cause flash floods and landslides. (READ: FAST FACTS: Tropical cyclones, rainfall advisories)

Tuesday, November 19

• Moderate rain with frequent heavy rain
• Batanes
• northern part of Cagayan, including Babuyan Group of Islands
• Apayao
• northern part of Ilocos Norte
• Light to moderate rain with intermittent heavy rain
• northern part of Isabela
• Kalinga
• Abra
• rest of Cagayan
• Ilocos Sur

Wednesday, November 20

• Light to moderate rain with occasionally heavy rain
• Batanes
• northern part of Cagayan, including Babuyan Group of Islands
• Apayao
• Light to moderate rain with intermittent heavy rain
• Isabela
• rest of Cagayan
• northern part of Aurora
• Kalinga
• Ilocos Norte

Aside from possible flash floods and landslides, PAGASA also warned there could be storm surges up to 2 meters high in La Union and Pangasinan.

Travel remains risky too, especially for small vessels, in the seaboards of areas under tropical cyclone wind signals, the seaboard of the southern part of Isabela, as well as the western seaboard of Zambales and Bataan.

Classes were also suspended in some areas for Tuesday. (READ: #WalangPasok: Class suspensions, Tuesday, November 19, 2019)

Ramon could leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) early Thursday, November 21. By then, it would have likely weakened into a low pressure area (LPA).

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

Meanwhile, the LPA inside PAR is now 670 kilometers east of Borongan City, Eastern Samar.

It is likely to develop into a tropical depression within 12 hours. If it does, it would be given the local name Sarah – potentially the Philippines’ 19th tropical cyclone for 2019, and the 3rd for November. (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 had been projected.

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

• November – 1 or 2 (if Sarah forms, the estimate would be exceeded)
• December – 0 or 1

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