Metro Manila and several other areas in Luzon and Visayas are forecast to experience heavy rainfall starting Sunday noon, as Severe Tropical Storm Fung-wong is expected to enter the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) and reach super typhoon category this weekend.
In a press conference on Friday, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) weather specialist Benison Estareja said Fung-wong – to be named Uwan once it enters PAR – is likely to bring the heaviest rainfall Sunday and Monday.
He cited the weather bureau’s 11 a.m. heavy rainfall outlook, which forecasts continuous rain over the following areas from Sunday noon until Monday noon:
Intense to torrential rain showers or more than 200 millimeters (mm) of rain:
Aurora
Nueva Ecija
Cagayan
Isabela
Quirino
Nueva Vizcaya
Apayao
Kalinga
Abra
Mountain Province
Ifugao
Benguet
Ilocos Norte
Ilocos Sur
La Union
Pangasinan
Heavy to intense rain showers or 100 to 200 mm of rain:
Metro Manila
Quezon
Rizal
Laguna
Cavite
Camarines Norte
Camarines Sur
Catanduanes
Zambales
Bataan
Tarlac
Pampanga
Bulacan
Moderate to heavy showers, or 50 to 100 mm of rain:
Batanes
Batangas
Occidental Mindoro
Oriental Mindoro
Marinduque
Romblon
Albay
Sorsogon
Masbate
Aklan
Antique
Northern Samar
As for Saturday noon to Sunday noon, Estareja said 18 provinces in Luzon and Visayas are expected to experience heavy rainfall.
Intense to torrential showers, or more than 200 millimeters (mm) of rain:
Catanduanes
Heavy to intense showers or 100 to 200 mm of rain:
Northern Samar
Eastern Samar
Sorsogon
Albay
Camarines Sur
Camarines Norte
Moderate to heavy showers, or 50 to 100 mm of rain:
Samar
Biliran
Leyte
Masbate
Quezon
Marinduque
Romblon
Aurora
Quirino
Isabela
Cagayan
Based on the 11 a.m. bulletin of Pagasa, Fung-wong was last located 1,315 kilometers east of Eastern Visayas, packing maximum sustained winds of 100 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gusts of up to 125 kph.
It may enter PAR either late evening this Friday or early morning on Saturday.
The cyclone is forecast to reach typhoon category within the next 24 hours and become a super typhoon on Saturday evening or Sunday morning.