Signal No. 2 was raised for more areas in Luzon, including Metro Manila, as Severe Tropical Storm Jolina (Conson) maintained its strength over the Sibuyan Sea early Tuesday evening, September 7.

In its 8 pm bulletin on Tuesday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Jolina was already 65 kilometers east northeast of Romblon, Romblon.

The severe tropical storm continues to move west northwest at 15 kilometers per hour (km/h).

It still has maximum sustained winds of 100 km/h and gustiness of up to 125 km/h.

These are the areas under tropical cyclone wind signals as of 8 pm on Tuesday:

Signal No. 2 (damaging gale-force to storm-force winds)

• northwestern part of Sorsogon (Donsol, Pilar)
• northern part of Masbate (Ticao Island, Mobo, Milagros, Masbate City, Baleno, Aroroy, Mandaon, Balud, Burias Island)
• western part of Albay (Jovellar, Pio Duran, Libon, Oas, Ligao City, Guinobatan, Camalig, Daraga, Polangui)
• Romblon
• Quezon
• Batangas
• Cavite
• Laguna
• Rizal
• Metro Manila
• southern part of Bulacan (Norzagaray, San Jose del Monte City, Marilao, Meycauayan City, Obando, Santa Maria, Bocaue, Balagtas, Bulacan, Hagonoy, Paombong, Malolos City)
• southern part of Bataan (Pilar, Orion, Limay, Mariveles, Bagac, Balanga City, Abucay)
• Marinduque
• northern and central parts of Oriental Mindoro (Bansud, Gloria, Pinamalayan, Socorro, Pola, Victoria, Naujan, Calapan City, Baco, San Teodoro, Puerto Galera)
• western and southern parts of Camarines Sur (Del Gallego, Ragay, Lupi, Sipocot, Libmanan, Cabusao, Pasacao, Pamplona, Canaman, Magarao, Bombon, Naga City, Pili, Minalabac, Milaor, Gainza, Camaligan, San Fernando, Bula, Balatan, Bato, Nabua, Iriga City, Buhi, Baao)

Signal No. 1 (strong winds with occasional gusts)

• rest of Sorsogon
• rest of Masbate
• rest of Albay
• rest of Oriental Mindoro
• Occidental Mindoro
• Camarines Norte
• rest of Camarines Sur
• western part of Catanduanes (San Andres, San Miguel, Virac, Bato, Caramoran)
• rest of Bulacan
• Zambales
• Pangasinan
• Tarlac
• Pampanga
• rest of Bataan
• Nueva Ecija
• central and southern parts of Aurora (Dipaculao, Maria Aurora, San Luis, Dingalan, Baler)
• southeastern part of Quirino (Nagtipunan)
• southern part of Nueva Vizcaya (Alfonso Castañeda, Dupax del Norte, Dupax del Sur, Aritao, Santa Fe, Kayapa)
• southern part of Benguet (Bokod, Itogon, Tuba, Baguio City, Sablan, La Trinidad, Tublay)
• southern part of La Union (Rosario, Pugo, Tubao, Santo Tomas, Agoo, Aringay, Caba, Naguilian, Burgos, Bauang)
• western part of Northern Samar (San Jose, Rosario, Victoria, San Isidro, Lavezares, Allen, Biri, San Antonio, Capul, San Vicente)
• northwestern part of Samar (Calbayog City, Tagapul-an, Almagro, Santo Niño)
• Aklan
• northwestern part of Antique (Caluya)
• Capiz
• northeastern part of Iloilo (Lemery, Ajuy, Concepcion, Sara, San Dionisio, Batad, Balasan, Estancia, Carles)

Jolina is also causing more rain on Tuesday evening until Wednesday, September 8, and this could lead to more floods and landslides.

Heavy to intense rain, with at times torrential rain

• Masbate
• Albay
• Camarines Norte
• Camarines Sur
• Sorsogon
• Calabarzon
• Romblon
• Marinduque
• Occidental Mindoro
• Oriental Mindoro

Moderate to heavy rain, with at times intense rain

• Metro Manila
• Aurora
• Catanduanes
• Western Visayas

PAGASA has updated its storm surge warning as well, covering several coastal localities in these areas for the next 24 hours:

• Burias
• Bondoc Peninsula
• Marinduque
• Romblon
• Oriental Mindoro
• Batangas

The state weather bureau warned that storm surges 0.5 to 1 meter high may threaten life and property.

“In addition, coastal areas of localities under [tropical cyclone wind signals], especially those at No. 2, may experience coastal flooding due to hazardous surf conditions,” PAGASA said.

It remains dangerous to travel by sea due to Jolina.

Rough to very rough seas (waves 2.5 to 5 meters high)

Travel risky for all vessels, inexperienced mariners should seek safe harbor

• seaboards of areas under Signal No. 2

Moderate to rough seas (waves 1.2 to 2.8 meters high)

Small vessels must take precautionary measures, inexperienced mariners should avoid navigation

• seaboards of areas under Signal No. 1
• remaining seaboards of Visayas

From the Sibuyan Sea, Jolina could make landfall in or pass near the Bondoc Peninsula-Marinduque area on Wednesday morning. This would already be its seventh landfall.

Then it is projected to cross Tayabas Bay before it makes another landfall in the Quezon-Batangas area on Wednesday afternoon.

Jolina had made landfall six times as a typhoon:

Monday, September 6

• Hernani, Eastern Samar – 10 pm

Tuesday, September 7

• Daram, Samar – 2 am
• Santo Niño, Samar – 3:40 am
• Almagro, Samar – 6:30 am
• Tagapul-an, Samar – 7:50 am
• Dimasalang, Masbate – 10 am

After hitting the Quezon-Batangas area, Jolina may cross other parts of Calabarzon – south of Metro Manila – and Central Luzon. It might weaken into a tropical storm during this period.

Finally, Jolina could emerge over the West Philippine Sea before noon on Thursday, September 9. It may regain strength beginning Thursday afternoon as it heads for the southern China-northern Vietnam area.

It is likely to leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Friday morning, September 10. (READ: FAST FACTS: Tropical cyclones, rainfall advisories)

PAGASA

Aside from Jolina, Severe Tropical Storm Kiko (Chanthu) is also inside PAR. PAGASA is expected to issue its first bulletin on Kiko at 11 pm on Tuesday.

Jolina and Kiko are the Philippines’ 10th and 11th tropical cyclones for 2021.

An average of 20 tropical cyclones form within or enter PAR each year. (READ: LIST: PAGASA’s names for tropical cyclones in 2021)

For the next six months, these are PAGASA’s estimates for the number of tropical cyclones inside PAR:

2021

• September – 2 or 3
• October – 2 or 3
• November – 2 or 3
• December – 1 or 2

2022

• January – 0 or 1
• February – 0 or 1

– Rappler.com