via rappler.com – The Samar provinces are still in the crosshairs of Typhoon Ruby (Hagupit), which has maintained its strength overnight Saturday, December 6.
Ruby, located 240 km east northeast of Borongan, Eastern Samar as of 4 am Saturday, currently has maximum sustained winds of 195 km/h near the center and gusts of up to 230 km/h, state weather bureau PAGASA said.
It is also estimated to have heavy to intense rainfall within its 600-kilometer diameter, the bureau said.
As of 10 am Saturday, Ruby was again downgraded from a super typhoon to a typhoon by the US Joint Typhoon Warning Center. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) labeled the typhoon as a violent storm, with a central pressure of 915 hPa.
The Samar provinces – Eastern Samar, Northern Samar and Samar – are under public storm warning signal number 3, where winds between 100-185 km/h are expected within 18 hours.
Storm signal number 2, where winds between 61-100 km/h are expected within 24 hours, has been hoisted over these areas:
Catanduanes
Albay
Sorsogon
Masbate
Ticao Island
Biliran
Leyte
Southern Leyte
Northern Cebu
Cebu City
Bantayan Island
Camotes Island
Dinagat Province
Storm signal number 1 is in effect over these areas:
Camarines Norte
Camarines Norte
Camarines Sur
Burias Island
Romblon
Southern Quezon
Marinduque
Capiz
Iloilo
Antique
Guimaras
Aklan
Negros Oriental
Negros Occidental
Rest of Cebu
Siquijor
Bohol
Surigao del Sur
Surigao del Norte
Siargao Island
Agusan del Norte
Agusan del Sur
Camiguin
The areas under signal number 1 should expect winds of 30-60 km/h witin 36 hours.
The bureau is now expecting landfall early Sunday, December 7, over the Eastern Samar-Northern Samar area, and will be “associated with strong winds, storm surge (up to 4.5 meters) and heavy-intense rainfall.”
NASA’s Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) reported that as of Friday, the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) satellite has recorded rainfall of over 76 mm/h in Ruby’s eyewall, composed of thunderstorms reaching heights of up to 15 km in the sky.
The storm also slowed down, now moving at a speed of 10 km/h, going to the west.
PAGASA forecasts the storm to then cross Samar, then over Masbate, Romblon, and the northern part of Mindoro island. It is expected to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility by Wednesday evening, December 10.
Independent weather organization Weather Philippines said that “heavy to extreme rains” of 150 mm or more are predicted to affect the Samar and Leyte area, Sorsogon, Albay, Masbate, Romblon, northern portions of Capiz and Iloilo, extreme northern Negros Occidental, and northern Cebu by tonight until Sunday afternoon.
Southern areas of Camarines Sur, Aklan, the rest of Capiz and Iloilo, the rest of northern Negros Occidental, middle areas of Cebu, Bohol, Southern Leyte, and Dinagat and Siargao islands should expect heavy rains, between 100-150 mm.
“Ruby and the Northeast Monsoon will bring rough to very rough sea conditions over the seaboards of Northern Luzon, eastern seaboard of Central and Southern Luzon, seaboards of Visayas and over northern and eastern seaboards of Mindanao,” the bureau said.
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