Typhoon Ambo strengthens again, moves closer to Northern Samar

Acor Arceo

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Typhoon Ambo strengthens again, moves closer to Northern Samar
Typhoon Ambo (Vongfong) is now expected to make landfall in Northern Samar on Thursday, May 14, in the afternoon or evening

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MANILA, Philippines – Typhoon Ambo (Vongfong) further intensified as it moved closer to Northern Samar before dawn on Thursday, May 14.

In an online briefing past 5 am on Thursday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Ambo now has maximum winds of 150 kilometers per hour (km/h) from the previous 130 km/h and gustiness of up to 185 km/h from the previous 160 km/h.

PAGASA added that Ambo is likely to strengthen even more before it makes landfall in the northeastern part of Northern Samar on Thursday afternoon or early evening. (READ: FAST FACTS: Tropical cyclones, rainfall advisories)

The typhoon is already 230 kilometers east of Catarman, Northern Samar, still moving west at 15 km/h.

Signal No. 3 is now raised for the first time due to Ambo, while more areas were placed under Signal Nos. 1 and 2. Below is the latest list of areas under tropical cyclone wind signals. (READ: Why is it now called tropical cyclone ‘wind’ – and not ‘warning’ – signals?)

Signal No. 3 (winds of 121 to 170 km/h, or strong to destructive typhoon-force winds during the passage of the typhoon)

  • Northern Samar
  • northern part of Eastern Samar (Jipapad, Arteche, Maslog, Dolores, Oras, San Policarpio, Can-avid, Taft)
  • northern part of Samar (Calbayog City, Sta Margarita, Gandara, Pagsanghan, San Jorge, Matuguinao, San Jose de Buan)

Signal No. 2 (winds of 61 to 120 km/h, or strong to damaging gale-/storm-force winds during the passage of the typhoon)

  • Catanduanes
  • eastern part of Camarines Sur (Siruma, Tinambac, Goa, Lagonoy, San Jose, Garchitorena, Presentacion, Caramoan, Calabanga, Bombon, Magarao, Canaman, Camaligan, Gainza, Pamplona, Naga City, Milaor, San Fernando, Minalabac, Pili, Ocampo, Tigaon, Bula, Baao, Sagñay, Iriga City, Buhi, Nabua,  Balatan, Bato)
  • Albay
  • Sorsogon
  • northern part of Masbate including Burias Island and Ticao Island (San Pascual, Claveria, Monreal, San Jacinto, San Fernando, Batuan, Aroroy, Baleno, Masbate City, Mobo, Uson, Dimasalang, Palanas, Cataingan, Pio V. Corpuz)
  • central part of Samar (Tarangnan, Catbalogan City, Jiabong, Motiong, Paranas, San Sebastian, Hinabangan, Tagapul-an, Almagro, Sto Niño)
  • central part of Eastern Samar (Sulat, San Julian, Borongan City, Maydolong)

Signal No. 1 (winds of 30 to 60 km/h, or strong to near-gale-force winds during the passage of the typhoon)

  • Cavite,
  • Laguna
  • Batangas
  • Rizal
  • Quezon
  • Marinduque
  • eastern part of Romblon (Banton, Corcuera, Romblon, Magdiwang, Cajidiocan, San Fernando)
  • Camarines Norte
  • rest of Camarines Sur
  • rest of Masbate
  • Biliran
  • rest of Samar
  • rest of Eastern Samar
  • northern part of Leyte (Calubian, San Isidro, Tabango, Villaba, Leyte, Kananga, Capoocan, Carigara, Barugo, San Miguel, Babatngon, Tunga, Jaro, Alangalang, Sta Fe, Tacloban City, Palo, Pastrana, Dagami, Tabontabon, Tanauan, Tolosa)

“Violent winds and heavy to torrential rain of the eyewall region may begin affecting Northern Samar and the northern portions of Samar and Eastern Samar within 12 hours,” added PAGASA.

Aside from strong winds, the typhoon is also bringing heavy rainfall.

Thursday, May 14

Heavy to intense rain, with at times torrential rain

  • Northern Samar
  • Eastern Samar
  • Samar

Moderate to heavy rain, with at times intense rain

  • Sorsogon
  • Albay
  • Catanduanes
  • Masbate
  • rest of Eastern Visayas

Friday, May 15

Heavy to intense rain, with at times torrential rain

  • Bicol

Moderate to heavy rain, with at times intense rain

  • Northern Samar
  • Quezon
  • Aurora
  • Marinduque
  • Romblon

Floods, landslides, and even lahar from Mayon Volcano are possible. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology issued an advisory on Wednesday, May 13, warning that rainfall from Ambo might mix with volcanic deposits from Mayon’s 2018 eruption, which could result in lahar or volcanic mudflows.

PAGASA also warned that in the next 48 hours, there may be storm surges 1 to 3 meters high in these areas:

  • Northern Samar
  • Eastern Samar (east coast)
  • Samar (west coast)
  • Sorsogon
  • Albay
  • Catanduanes
  • Camarines Sur
  • Camarines Norte
  • Quezon
  • Aurora

“Along with large swells, this storm surge may cause potentially life-threatening coastal inundation,” PAGASA said.

Sea travel is risky for all vessels in the seaboards of areas under tropical cyclone wind signals.

Forecast track of Typhoon Ambo (Vongfong) as of May 14, 2020, 5 am. 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

While bracing for Ambo, the Philippines is also combating the coronavirus outbreak. The number of COVID-19 cases in the country climbed to 11,618 on Wednesday. – 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.