THE state weather bureau has placed four provinces under Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal Number 2 as Typhoon Nina (Nock-Ten) intensified further on Saturday afternoon, December 24.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Signal Number 2 is up over the provinces of Catanduanes, Albay, Sorsogon, and Northern Samar.
The weather agency said 61 to 120 kilometers per hour (kph) winds is expected in these provinces in the next 24 hours.
Signal Number 1 (30 to 60 kph winds expected in 36 hours) is also raised over Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Romblon, Masbate including Ticao and Burias Island, Marinduque, Quezon including Polillo Island, Samar, Eastern Samar, Biliran and northern part of Leyte.
Pagasa said Signal Number 1 will possibly be hoisted over the provinces of Rizal, Laguna, Batangas, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Aurora, Cavite, Bulacan, Aklan, Capiz, including Metro Manila, at 8 p.m. Saturday.
As of 4 p.m., the eye of the typhoon was located at 390 kilometers (km) east of Virac, Catanduanes, Pagasa said.
Nina, which packs maximum sustained winds of up to 175 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 215 kph, is expected to move west northwest at 15 kph.
Weather forecasters said the typhoon is expected to make landfall over Catanduanes on Christmas Day.
Meanwhile, thousands of travelers, who want to spend Christmas in their hometowns, were
stranded in several ports and terminals in Bicol and Eastern Visayas regions.
The Philippine Coast Guard reported that a total of 5,723 passengers were stranded as of Saturday afternoon due to the onslaught of Nina, the 14th cyclone in the country this year. (DDA/Sunnex)
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