Typhoon Tisoy further intensifies ahead of landfall in Sorsogon

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MANILA, Philippines – Typhoon Tisoy (Kammuri) gained even more strength early Monday evening, December 2, shortly before its expected landfall in the province of Sorsogon.

In a bulletin issued past 8 pm on Monday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Tisoy is already 90 kilometers east of Juban, Sorsogon, with its landfall seen within the next 3 hours.

It slightly accelerated, moving west at 20 kilometers per hour (km/h) from the previous 15 km/h.

The typhoon now has maximum winds of 165 km/h from the previous 155 km/h and gustiness of up to 230 km/h from the previous 190 km/h. (READ: FAST FACTS: Tropical cyclones, rainfall advisories)

PAGASA said Tisoy's eyewall is already bringing violent winds to Northern Samar, Catanduanes, Albay, Camarines Sur, and Sorsogon.

The World Meteorological Organization defines the eyewall as "an organized band or ring of cumulonimbus clouds that surround the eye, or light-wind center of a tropical cyclone."

This is the newest list of areas under tropical cyclone wind signals:

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

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

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

PAGASA added that there may be gusty conditions in areas in Northern Luzon that are not under any tropical cyclone wind signal, due to the northeast monsoon or hanging amihan.

PAGASA maintained the following rainfall outlook for Tisoy:

Between Monday evening, December 2, and Tuesday morning, December 3

Between Tuesday morning and evening, December 3

Residents must watch out for possible flash floods and landslides. (READ: Typhoon Kammuri track may be like Glenda in 2014, Reming in 2006)

Storm surges are also possible in certain coastal areas of these provinces:

More than 3 meters high

Up to 3 meters high

Travel is also risky, especially for small vessels, in the seaboards of areas under tropical cyclone wind signals, the seaboards of Northern Luzon, the western seaboard of Palawan, the central seaboards of the Visayas, and the northern and eastern seaboards of Mindanao.

Class suspensions were again being announced for Tuesday. (READ: #WalangPasok: Class suspensions, Tuesday, December 3, 2019)

The typhoon also prompted schedule adjustments to be made for some events of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, which the Philippines is hosting until December 11. Some events were moved to an earlier time, while others were postponed.

Based on its latest forecast track, Tisoy is expected to leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Thursday, December 5.

Tisoy is the Philippines' 20th tropical cyclone for 2019. (READ: LIST: PAGASA's names for tropical cyclones in 2019)

The country gets an average of 20 tropical cyclones annually. In the earlier part of the year, only 14 to 18 tropical cyclones had been projected since 2019 is an El Niño year.

For the month of December, PAGASA had been expecting 0 to 1 tropical cyclone.

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