TYPHOON Nina has maintained its strength as it threatens the Bicol region, the state weather bureau said on Sunday morning, December 25.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Catanduanes, Albay and Camarines Sur are currently under Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal (TCWS) No. 3, wherein 121-170 kilometer per hour (kph) winds is expected within 18 hours.
TCWS No. 2 (61-120 kph expected in 24 hours) is also raised over Southern Quezon, Marinduque, Camarines Norte, Masbate including Ticao and Burias islands, Sorsogon and northern Samar.
TCWS No. 1, meanwhile, was hoisted over Metro Manila, Bataan, Nueva Ecija, southern Nueva Vizcaya, southern Quirino, Zambales, Pampanga, Tarlac, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, the rest of Quezon, including Polillo Island, Aurora, Romblon, Occidental Mindoro, including Lubang Island and Oriental Mindoro, Aklan, Capiz, Samar, eastern Samar, Biliran, Leyte and Bantayan Island.
TCWS indicates the strength of a typhoon and the severity of its impact to the public.
The weather agency said as of 8 a.m. the eye of the typhoon was located at 250 km east of Virac, Catanduanes and about to make a landfall Sunday afternoon or evening.
u201dNina” has a maximum sustained winds of up to 175 kph near the center, and gustiness of up to 215 kph, heading west at 15 kph.
Sea travel is risky over the seaboards of Luzon and the seaboards of Samar and Leyte, Pagasa said.
It added that storm surge height of up to 2.5 meters is possible over the coastal areas of Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte and Catanduanes.(PNA/Sunnex)