Highlights
- From a tropical storm category, Ma-on has been upgraded to a severe tropical storm.
- Wind speeds of up to 115 km/h recorded, but cyclone still gaining power.
- Ma-on, locally codenamed "Florita", makes landfall over Maconanon town in Isabela province Tuesday,
Manila: Several areas were placed under Signal No. 3 after tropical cyclone (typhoon) “Ma-on” (locally codenamed “Florita”) intensified into a severe tropical storm on Tuesday, weathermen said.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) located Ma-on at 120 kilometers east northeast of Casiguran town in Aurora province on Tuesday, packing wind speeds of up to 115 kilometers per hour (km/h).
In a bulletin issued at 11am Tuesday (August 23), the weather bureau said Ma-on already made landfall over Maconanon town in Isabela province as a severe tropical storm.
Intense rains
The state weather bureau warned residents to expect heavy to intense rains — with at times torrential rains — in the following provinces:
- Cagayan Isabela
- Cordillera Administrative Region
- Ilocos Region
- and Zambales
“Florita (Ma-on) has gained strength. From a tropical storm category, it has been upgraded to a severe tropical storm category. Currently, a large part of the country, especially in Luzon and Visayas, will experience cloudy skies with rain because of the severe tropical storm and the southwest monsoon,” said Pagasa weather specialist Aldczar Aurelio.
Moderate to heavy rains
Pagasa said Florita will bring moderate heavy rains over the northern provinces:
- Aurora
- Bataan
- Tarlac
- Cagayan Valley
Light to moderate with at times heavy rains are expected in the following areas:
- Metro Manila
- Calabarzon
- Camarines Norte
- The rest of Central Luzon.
Metro Manila
Pagasa has raised the Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal in the following areas:
Signal No. 3
Northern and eastern portion of mainland Cagayan (Santa Praxedes, Claveria, Sanchez-Mira, Pamplona, Abulug, Ballesteros, Lal-Lo, Baggao, Peñablanca, Gattaran, Aparri, Camalaniugan, Buguey, Santa Ana, Gonzaga, Santa Teresita)
Eastern portion of Isabela (Maconacon, Divilacan, Palanan)
Southern portion of Babuyan Islands (Camiguin Island, Fuga Island, Dalupiri Island)
Signal No. 2
The rest of mainland Cagayan
The rest of Babuyan Islands
Rest of Isabela
Quirino
Eastern and central portions of Nueva Vizcaya (Kayapa, Ambaguio, Solano, Villaverde, Bagabag, Diadi, Quezon, Bayombong, Bambang, Aritao, Dupax del Sur, Dupax del Norte, Kasibu, Alfonso Castaneda)
Apayao
Abra
Kalinga
Mountain Province
Ifugao
The northern portion of Benguet (Bakun, Kibungan, Buguias, Kabayan, Mankayan, Bokod, Atok)
Ilocos Norte
Ilocos Sur
Northern and central portions of Aurora (Dilasag, Casiguran, Dinalungan, Dipaculao, Baler, Maria Aurora)
Northern and eastern portion of Nueva Vizcaya
Signal no. 1
Batanes
The rest of Nueva Vizcaya
The rest of Benguet
La Union, Pangasinan
The eastern portion of Tarlac (San Clemente, Camiling, Moncada, San Manuel, Anao, Santa Ignacia, Gerona, Paniqui, Ramos, Pura, Victoria, La Paz, City of Tarlac, Concepcion)
Nueva Ecija
The rest of Aurora
The eastern portion of Pampanga (Magalang, Arayat, Candaba)
The eastern portion of Bulacan (San Ildefonso, San Miguel, Doña Remedios Trinidad, San Rafael, Angat, Norzagaray, City of San Jose del Monte)
The eastern portion of Rizal (Rodriguez, San Mateo, City of Antipolo, Tanay, Baras)
The northern portion of Quezon (General Nakar, Infanta, Real, Mauban, Perez, Alabat, Quezon, Calauag) including Polillo Islands
The northern portion of Laguna (Santa Maria, Famy, Siniloan, Pangil, Pakil, Paete)
Camarines Norte
Eastern portion of Rizal
Northern portion of Quezon
Polillo Islands
Northern portion of Laguna
Camarines Norte
Florita and the southwest monsoon will also affect western Visayas, Mimaropa and the rest of the Bicol Region.
Cloudy skies with gusty winds can be expected.
Mindanao can expect partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers due to localized thunderstorms.
Rough seas
Moderate to rough seas are also expected in Northern Luzon, Southern Luzon and the Visayas.
Going out to the seas will be risky for smaller seacrafts, Pagasa warned.
