MANILA, Philippines - Tropical Storm "Ambo" may intensify further into a typhoon as it gains more strength, while hovering over the sea. Despite not making a landfall, five areas in Luzon are now under storm signal number 1.
Ambo picked up strength and now packs 85 kilometers per hour of winds near the center with gustiness up to 100 kph. It slightly slowed down to 13 kph as it travels north northwest. A slow-moving storm likely gains more strength as it gets more water vapor over the ocean.
Public Storm Signal No 1 has been hoisted over Aurora, Isabela, Cagayan, Babuyan Islands and Batanes. These areas could expect twigs and branches of small trees may be broken, while some banana plants may be tilted or downed and some houses of very light materials (nipa and cogon) may be partially unroofed.
Landslide and flashflood alerts are also up over the said areas, according to the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).
As of 10 am, Ambo was spotted 200 km east northeast of Casiguran, Aurora.
Pagasa said Ambo would slowly but surely move out of the country in the next three days but may also intensify into a typhoon.
It is expected to be 240 kilometers northeast of Aparri, Cagayan by Sunday morning, 350 km northeast of Basco, Batanes by Monday morning, and 680 km northeast of Basco, Batanes by Tuesday morning.
Though still weak, Ambo is pulling the southwest monsoon or hanging habagat, which is already bringing cloudiness and scattered rains over the western section of the country including Visayas.
Meanwhile, Pagasa has discoyraged small vishing boats and other sea vessels from venturing out in the seabords of Luzon and Visayas as waves could reach up to nearly 5 meters high due to the prevailing monsoon winds.
More than 19 storms are expected to visit the country this year, according to Pagasa.
source: interaksyon.com
