Typhoon Bising continues to intensify as it moves closer to the Philippine landmass, the state weather bureau PAGASA said on Saturday.
In its latest weather bulletin, PAGASA said the center of the eye of Typhoon Bising was located 545 km East of Guiuan, Eastern Samar with maximum sustained winds of 185 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 230 kph.
Bising is expected to further intensify as it moves northwestward at 20 kilometers per hour.
The weather bureau also forecasted that the typhoon will further intensify and reach its peak intensity between 195 and 205 kph on Sunday.
PAGASA said that the rainbands of Bising will bring moderate to heavy with at times intense rains over Eastern Visayas, Sorsogon, Masbate, Albay, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, and Camotes Islands tomorrow, April 18.
“Typhoon “BISING” will move generally northwestward over the Philippine Sea until tomorrow afternoon or evening. Afterwards, the typhoon will slow down and move northward or north-northeastward until Tuesday (20 April) early morning before moving generally north-northwestward over the Philippine Sea east of Northern and Central Luzon,” PAGASA said.
Meanwhile, the possibility of a landfall scenario is not ruled out by the weather bureau.
“Considering the uncertainty in the track forecast of typhoon “BISING”, a westward shift in the current forecast track may result in potentially significant impacts over the eastern portions of Luzon and Visayas,” it said.
On Monday, April 19, the weather disturbance will bring moderate to heavy with at times intense rains over Northern Samar and Bicol Region.
Based on the current forecast scenario, Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No.2 remains the highest level of wind signal that will be hoisted due to this typhoon.
However, PAGASA noted that in the event of a further eastward or westward shift in the current track forecast, the highest level of wind signal that will be hoisted for this typhoon may be lower or higher than the current scenario suggests.
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Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 is hoisted in the following areas:
LUZON:
– The central and eastern portions of Sorsogon (Castilla, Magallanes, Matnog, Juban, Irosin, Bulan, Santa Magdalena, Bulusan, Barcelona, Casiguran, Gubat, Prieto Diaz, Sorsogon City)
– Albay
– The eastern portion of Camarines Sur ((Siruma, Goa, Ocampo, Tigaon, Sagnay, Baao, Nabua, Bato, Iriga City, Buhi, Tinambac, Lagonoy, San Jose, Garchitorena, Presentacion, Caramoan)
– Ticao Island
– Catanduanes
VISAYAS:
– Northern Samar
– Samar
– Eastern Samar
– Biliran
– Leyte
– Southern Leyte
– Camotes Islands
MINDANAO
– Dinagat Islands
– Surigao del Norte (including Siargao and Bucas Grande Islands)
– Surigao del Sur
(RA)
