Tropical Storm Ambo speeds up over West Philippine Sea

Acor Arceo

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Tropical Storm Ambo speeds up over West Philippine Sea
Tropical Storm Ambo (Vongfong) is 110 kilometers north northwest of Laoag City, Ilocos Norte, as of late Saturday afternoon, May 16

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MANILA, Philippines – There were no more areas under Signal No. 2 as Tropical Storm Ambo (Vongfong) accelerated over the West Philippine Sea late Saturday afternoon, May 16.

In an online briefing past 5 pm on Saturday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Ambo is already 110 kilometers north northwest of Laoag City, Ilocos Norte.

The tropical storm is now moving north at 30 kilometers per hour (km/h) from its previous speed of 25 km/h early Saturday afternoon.

At the moment, Ambo’s maximum winds are down to 65 km/h while its gustiness is at 80 km/h. It is expected to later weaken into a tropical depression and then into a low pressure area. (READ: FAST FACTS: Tropical cyclones, rainfall advisories)

At its strongest, Ambo was a typhoon, lashing parts of the Visayas and of Luzon with damaging winds and heavy rain. It made landfall 6 times as a typhoon and once as a severe tropical storm, in these areas:

Thursday, May 14

  • San Policarpo, Eastern Samar – 12:15 pm
  • Dalupiri Island, Northern Samar – 10:15 pm
  • Capul Island, Northern Samar – 10:30 pm

Friday, May 15

  • Ticao Island, Masbate – 12 am
  • Burias Island, Masbate – 3 am
  • San Andres, Quezon – 7:45 am
  • Real, Quezon – 5 pm

While Signal No. 2 has been lifted, some parts of Northern Luzon remain under Signal No. 1. (READ: Why is it now called tropical cyclone ‘wind’ – and not ‘warning’ – signals?)

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

  • Ilocos Norte
  • Batanes
  • Babuyan Islands
  • northwestern part of Cagayan (Santa Praxedes, Claveria, Sanchez Mira, Pamplona, Abulug, Ballesteros)
  • northern part of Apayao (Calanasan, Luna)

Sea travel remains risky for all vessels in the seaboards of areas under Signal No. 1.

Ambo continues to bring rain to parts of Northern Luzon as well. There could be floods or landslides during heavy or prolonged rainfall, warned PAGASA.

Until Saturday evening, May 16

Light to moderate rain, with at times heavy rain

  • Ilocos Region
  • Cordillera Administrative Region
  • Cagayan Valley
  • northern part of Aurora

Between Saturday evening, May 16, and Sunday evening, May 17

Moderate rain, with at times heavy rain

  • Batanes
  • Babuyan Islands

Tens of thousands of people earlier fled their homes as authorities enforced preemptive evacuation. (READ: Social distancing ‘per family’ at Typhoon Ambo evacuation centers)

Ambo is expected to leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Monday afternoon, May 18.

Forecast track of Tropical Storm Ambo (Vongfong) as of May 16, 2020, 5 pm. Image from PAGASA

Ambo is the Philippines’ first tropical cyclone for 2020. The country gets an average of 20 tropical cyclones per year. (READ: LIST: PAGASA’s names for tropical cyclones in 2020)

In PAGASA’s climate outlook, it gave the following estimates for the number of tropical cyclones in the next 6 months:

  • May – 1 or 2
  • June – 1 or 2
  • July – 2 to 4
  • August – 2 or 3
  • September – 2 or 3
  • October – 2 or 3

– Rappler.com

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Acor Arceo

Acor Arceo is the head of copy and editorial standards at Rappler. Trained in both online and TV newsrooms, Acor ensures consistency in editorial standards across all sections and also supervises Rappler’s coverage of disasters.