Babuyan Islands brace for Typhoon Ramon landfall as new tropical depression brews

MANILA, Philippines — A slower "Ramon," which strengthened into a  typhoon last night, is forecast to make landfall over Babuyan Islands between this afternoon and evening while a low pressure area east of Visayas is seen to become a tropical depression within 24 hours.

The eye of Typhoon Ramon (international name: Kalmaegi) was located 110 km east of Calayan, Cagayan at 7 a.m. Tuesday, PAGASA said in its 8 a.m. severe weather bulletin.

It packs maximum sustained winds of up to 120 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 150 kph.

The state weather bureau said the typhoon is inching slowly in a west-northwest direction. It is expected to weaken following landfall over Babuyan Islands due to land interaction and the northeast monsoon.

Moderate with frequent heavy rains are expected today over Batanes, the northern portion of Cagayan including the Babuyan Islands, Apayao and the northern portion of Ilocos Norte. On the other hand, light to moderate with intermittent heavy rains are seen over the northern portion of Isabela, Kalinga, Abra and the rest of Cagayan and Ilocos Sur.

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signals

Signal No. 3

• Northern portion of Cagayan:
  • Santa Praxedes
  • Claveria
  • Sanchez Mira
  • Pamplona
  • Abulug
  • Ballesteros
  • Aparri
  • Calayan
  • Camalaniugan
  • Buguey
  • Santa Teresita
  • Gonzaga
  • Santa Ana

Signal No. 2

• Batanes
• Apayao
• Kalinga
• Abra
• Ilocos Norte
• Ilocos Sur
• The rest of Cagayan

Signal No. 1

• Northern portion of Isabela:
  • Sta. Maria
  • San Pablo
  • Maconacon
  • Cabagan
  • Sto. Tomas
  • Quezon
  • Delfin Albano
  • Tumauini
  • Divilacan
  • Quirino
  • Roxas
  • Mallig
  • San Manuel
  • Burgos
  • Gamu
  • Ilagan City
• Mountain Province
• Benguet
• Ifugao
• La Union
• Pangasinan

PAGASA warned against sea travel, especially for small seacraft, over the seaboards of areas under TCWS, the seaboard of southern Isabela, and the western seaboard of Zambales and Bataan due to prevailing or forecast rough sea conditions.

Meanwhile, the LPA was located 810 km East of Guiuan, Eastern Samar at 7 a.m. today. It will be assigned the name "Sarah" once it becomes a tropical depression.