Nine areas were placed under Storm Signal No. 1 before noon Thursday as Typhoon Ruby (Hagupit) intensified further and may make landfall over Samar Saturday morning, state weather agency PAGASA said.
In its 11 a.m. advisory, PAGASA said Ruby was estimated at 860 km east of Surigao City as of 10 a.m., packing maximum winds of 195 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 230 kph.
PAGASA said Ruby is forecast to move west-northwest at 20 kph and is expected to be at 395 km east-southeast of Borongan, Eastern Samar Friday morning.
By Saturday morning, it is expected to be at 30 km northeast of Borongan, Eastern Samar and will make landfall over the Samar area before noon.
On Sunday morning, it is expected to be at 20 km south-southwest of Romblon.
Storm signals
Under Storm Signal No. 1 are:
- Northern Samar
- Eastern Samar
- Samar
- Biliran
- Leyte
- Southern Leyte
- Surigao del Norte including Siargao Island
- Surigao del Sur
- Dinagat
Under Signal No. 1, twigs and branches of trees may be broken while banana plants may tilt or land flat on the ground.
Rice in flowering stage may suffer significant damage while some nipa and cogon houses may be partially unroofed.
"Sea travel of small seacraft and fishing boats is risky," it said.
Rainfall
PAGASA said Ruby may have an estimated rainfall amount of 7.5 to 20 mm per hour (heavy to intense) within its 700-km diameter.
While it said Ruby is still far to affect any part of the country, its combined effect with the enhanced northeasterly winds may bring rough to very rough sea conditions over the eastern seaboard of Central and Southern Luzon, over the seaboards of the Visayas and over the seaboard of northern and eastern seaboards of Mindanao.
"Fisherfolks and those using small seacraft are advised not to venture out over the said seaboards," it said. — Joel Locsin/VC/TJD, GMA News
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