Aside from Severe Tropical Storm Kristine (Trami), PAGASA is also monitoring a tropical depression and a low pressure area, which are both outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility
MANILA, Philippines – Severe Tropical Storm Kristine (Trami) maintained its strength and slow pace off the coast of Bolinao, Pangasinan, late Thursday evening, October 24.
Kristine continues to have maximum sustained winds of 95 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 145 km/h, said the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) in a briefing past 11 pm on Thursday.
The severe tropical storm is slowly moving south southwest over the Lingayen Gulf, but is seen to shift westward and move over the West Philippine Sea, where it may intensify.
It is expected to leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Friday afternoon, October 25.
Given Kristine’s wide circulation, however, it may still trigger more rain until Friday evening, particularly in the following regions and provinces:
- Intense to torrential rain (more than 200 millimeters): Pangasinan, La Union, Zambales, Cavite, Batangas
- Heavy to intense rain (100-200 mm): Bataan, Metro Manila, Rizal, Occidental Mindoro
- Moderate to heavy rain (50-100 mm): Cordillera Administrative Region, rest of Ilocos Region, rest of Central Luzon, rest of Calabarzon, rest of Mimaropa, Antique, Aklan, Negros Occidental
Kristine had made landfall in Divilacan, Isabela, at 12:30 am on Thursday, then crossed Ifugao, Mountain Province, and Ilocos Sur. It emerged over Ilocos Sur’s coastal waters early Thursday afternoon.
Before hitting land, Kristine already triggered moderate to torrential rain that caused massive floods, with Bicol among the hardest-hit regions.
Tropical cyclone wind signals remain raised in these areas as of 11 pm on Thursday:
Signal No. 2
Gale-force winds (62 to 88 km/h), minor to moderate threat to life and property
- Cagayan including Babuyan Islands
- Isabela
- Quirino
- Nueva Vizcaya
- Apayao
- Kalinga
- Abra
- Ifugao
- Mountain Province
- Benguet
- Ilocos Norte
- Ilocos Sur
- La Union
- Pangasinan
- Aurora
- Nueva Ecija
- Tarlac
- Zambales
- Bataan
- Pampanga
- Bulacan
- Metro Manila
- northern part of Cavite (Ternate, Maragondon, Naic, Tanza, General Trias City, Rosario, Cavite City, Noveleta, Kawit, Imus City, Bacoor City)
- northern part of Rizal (Cainta, Taytay, Angono, San Mateo, Rodriguez, Tanay, Antipolo City, Baras, Teresa, Morong)
- northern part of mainland Quezon (General Nakar)
Signal No. 1
Strong winds (39 to 61 km/h), minimal to minor threat to life and property
- Batanes
- rest of Rizal
- rest of Cavite
- Batangas
- Laguna
- rest of Quezon
- Occidental Mindoro
- Oriental Mindoro including Lubang Islands
- Marinduque
- Romblon
- northern part of mainland Palawan (El Nido, Taytay, Araceli, San Vicente, Dumaran, Roxas) including Calamian, Cuyo, and Kalayaan Islands
- Camarines Norte
- Camarines Sur
- Catanduanes
- Albay
- Sorsogon
- Masbate including Ticao Island and Burias Island
- Aklan
- Capiz
- Antique including Caluya Islands
- Iloilo
- Bantayan Islands
- western part of Northern Samar (Lope de Vega, Rosario, Biri, San Isidro, Capul, San Vicente, Victoria, Lavezares, San Antonio, Mondragon, San Jose, Catarman, San Roque, Allen, Bobon)
- northern part of Samar (Calbayog City, Tagapul-an)
Signal No. 3 was the highest tropical cyclone wind signal raised due to Kristine.
The weather bureau added that “the wind flow coming towards the circulation of Kristine, the northeasterly windflow, and southwesterly windflow” are still bringing strong to gale-force gusts to the following:
Friday, October 25
- Mimaropa, Bicol, Visayas, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte, Northern Mindanao, Zamboanga Peninsula, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Soccsksargen, Davao Region
Saturday, October 26
- Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Negros Island Region, Zamboanga del Norte, Siquijor, Bohol, Camiguin, Surigao del Norte, Dinagat Islands
In addition, there is still a minimal to moderate risk of storm surges “with peak heights of around 1 to 2 meters above normal tide levels” in Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, and Zambales in the next 48 hours.
ALSO ON RAPPLER
While Kristine is projected to leave PAR on Friday, the severe tropical storm might slow down outside PAR and make a U-turn toward Luzon starting Sunday, October 27.
PAGASA Weather Specialist Benison Estareja said reentry into PAR is not being ruled out.
“However, this scenario heavily depends on the behavior of the tropical cyclone east of the PAR region,” the weather bureau also said, referring to a tropical depression that formed outside PAR at 8 pm on Thursday.
The tropical depression was last spotted 2,045 kilometers east of northeastern Mindanao at 10 pm, moving north northwest at 35 km/h. It has maximum sustained winds of 55 km/h and gustiness of up to 70 km/h.
Aside from the tropical depression, there is also a low pressure area (LPA) outside PAR, which formed on Thursday afternoon. It was located 2,520 kilometers east of Eastern Visayas as of 10 pm, and currently has a low chance of developing into a tropical depression within 24 hours.
Estareja said the LPA might just merge with or become part of the tropical depression, which could eventually enter PAR late Saturday, October 26, or early Sunday. The next local tropical cyclone name is Leon.
For coastal waters in the next 24 hours, up to very rough or high seas are expected in the seaboards of Zambales and Pangasinan (waves up to 7 meters high); remaining seaboard of Ilocos Region, seaboards of Cagayan Valley and Lubang Islands, as well as western seaboards of Bataan and Batangas (waves up to 6 meters high); western seaboards of Occidental Mindoro and Calamian Islands (waves up to 5.5 meters high); and western seaboard of northern Palawan including Kalayaan Islands as well as seaboard of northern Aurora (waves up to 4.5 meters high). Travel is risky for all vessels.
Up to rough seas are seen in the southern seaboard of Quezon, remaining seaboard of Mimaropa, and western and southern seaboards of Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental (waves up to 4 meters high); remaining seaboard of Aurora, seaboards of Camarines Norte and Catanduanes, as well as northern and eastern seaboards of Camarines Sur (waves up to 3.5 meters high); and remaining seaboards of Luzon and the Visayas (waves up to 3 meters high). Small vessels should not venture out to sea.
Up to moderate seas will persist in the remaining seaboards of the country (waves up to 2.5 meters high). Small vessels should take precautionary measures or avoid sailing, if possible.
Kristine is the country’s 11th tropical cyclone for 2024 and the first for October. – Rappler.com
