Signal No. 2 remains in over 18 areas in Luzon as Kristine set to exit PAR

SEVERE Tropical Storm Kristine is set to leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Friday, October 25, but Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 2 is still in effect in over 18 areas in Luzon, said PAGASA.

In its 11 a.m. update, the state weather bureau located the center of Severe Tropical Storm Kristine at 255 kilometers (km) west northwest of Bacnotan, La Union, with maximum sustained winds of 95 kilometers per hour (km/h) near the center and gustiness of up to 115 km/h. It is moving west northwestward at 15 km/h.

PAGASA said the following areas in Luzon remain under Signal No. 2, which will experience winds of 62 to 88 km/h in the next 24 hours:

• The northwestern portion of mainland Cagayan (Santa Praxedes, Claveria, Sanchez-Mira, Abulug, Pamplona)
• The Babuyan Islands
• Nueva Vizcaya
• Apayao
• Abra
• Kalinga
• Mountain Province
• Ifugao
• Benguet
• Ilocos Norte
• Ilocos Sur
• La Union
• Pangasinan
• Nueva Ecija
• Tarlac
• Pampanga
• Zambales
• The northern portion of Bataan (Morong, Hermosa, Dinalupihan, Bagac, Orani, Samal, Abucay, City of Balanga)

Meanwhile, Signal No. 1 is up over the following areas, where winds of 39 to 61 km/h are expected within the next 36 hours:

Luzon:

• Batanes
• The rest of mainland Cagayan
• Isabela
• Quirino
• Aurora
• Bulacan
• The rest of Bataan
• Metro Manila
• Cavite
• Batangas
• Laguna
• Rizal
• Quezon
• Occidental Mindoro
• Oriental Mindoro
• Marinduque
• Romblon
• The northern portion of Palawan (El Nido, Taytay, San Vicente, Dumaran, Araceli) including Calamian, Cuyo, and Kalayaan Islands
• Camarines Norte
• Camarines Sur
• Burias Island

Visayas:

• The northern portion of Aklan (Buruanga, Malay, Nabas, Ibajay)
• The northern portion of Antique (Libertad, Pandan) including Caluya Islands

Tropical depression outside PAR

Kristine may leave PAR Friday afternoon or evening, said PAGASA’s weather forecaster Chenel Dominguez. But as it moves westward over the West Philippine Sea until Saturday, Kristine is expected to “loop counterclockwise” on Sunday and Monday.

However, PAGASA stressed that this scenario “heavily depends on the behavior of the tropical cyclone east of the PAR region and the behavior of other synoptic weather systems surrounding Kristine while over the West Philippine Sea.”

Dominguez said that the state weather bureau is also monitoring a tropical depression outside the PAR. It is located 2,235 km east of Eastern Visayas, with maximum sustained winds of 55 km/h and gustiness of up to 70 km/h. It is moving northwest at 20 km/h.

“Kung matatandaan po natin kahapon meron po tayong bagyo at low pressure area (LPA). Sa ngayon po, bagyo na lamang po ito dahil po yung low pressure area po na ito ay sumali na rin po sa circulation nitong tropical depression na nasa labas ng ating Philippine Area of Responsibility,” she explained in a press briefing.

Dominguez said that the tropical depression might enter PAR by the weekend and would be named “Leon.”

President’s directives

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. issued several directives to government agencies to boost the government’s relief efforts for communities affected by Severe Tropical Storm Kristine.

In a statement, the Chief Executive ordered the “full mobilization” of personnel and resources of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) for relief operations.

He also ordered the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to immediately release “all necessary funds” to assist the victims of Severe Tropical Storm Kristine, and the Department of Agriculture (DA) to deploy Kadiwa rolling stories to affected areas.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is also tasked to mobilize the grant of financial assistance under existing government programs, while the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has been ordered to undertake emergency road clearing operations.

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), on the other hand, is monitoring the compliance with the price freeze on basic necessities, imposed in areas placed under a state of calamity.