MANILA: State weather bureau PAGASA has placed five areas under Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal 3 on Saturday morning as Typhoon Karen slightly accelerates on its west-northwest path heading for the Luzon landmass.
PAGASA, in its 8am update on Saturday, said TCW Signal No. 3 has been raised over Catanduanes, Camarines Norte, Northern Quezon, Polillo Islands, and Aurora, reported GMA News.
At 7am, Karen’s eye was spotted 95 kilometers north-northeast of Virac, Catanduanes, moving west northwest at a faster at 15 kilometers per hour from the previous 13 kph.
Karen packs maximum sustained winds of up to 130 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 180 kph.
Areas within the 500-kilometer diameter of the typhoon is expected to experience moderate to heavy rainfall.
Meanwhile, Signal No. 2 has been raised over rest of Quezon, Camarines Sur, Albay, Rizal, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, and Quirino, said the news portal
Under Signal No. 1 are Sorsogon, Masbate icluding Ticao and Burias Island, Isabela, Romblon, Marinduque, Oriental Mindoro, Batangas, Laguna, Cavite, Metro Manila, Pampanga, Bataan, Zambales, Tarlac, Pangasinan, Nueva Vizcaya, La Union, and Benguet Ifugao
On the other hand, PAGASA reportedly said Signal 1 may also be raised over Ilocos Sur, Mountain Province, and Kalinga by Saturday afternoon.
Karen is expected to make landfall over the Quezon-Aurora area on Sunday morning, PAGASA announced.
It warned of possible storm surges in areas with Signal No. 3 and 2, while small sea crafts were advised not to venture out over the Eastern Samar seaboard, reported GMA News.
PAGASA reportedly warned that Karen will be at 110 km northeast of Infanta, Quezon by Sunday morning; 325 km west northwest of Iba, Zambales by Monday morning; 705 km north orthwest of Pagasa Island, Palawan and outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) by Tuesday morning.
