LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte (PIA) — The Ilocos region is forecasted to experience heavy to intense rain from Oct. 23 to 25, due to Severe Tropical Storm Kristine, according to Engr. Cynthia Iglesia, senior weather specialist and chief meteorological officer of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) Laoag Complex.
PAGASA’s weather advisory forecasts that on Thursday, the provinces of Pangasinan and La Union may experience intense to torrential rains with less than 200 millimeters of rainfall, while the provinces of Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur may get heavy to intense rain (100-200 mm rainfall).
By Friday, Oct. 25, Pangasinan and La Union provinces may experience moderate to heavy rains with 50 to 100 mm of rainfall.
According to the PAGASA rainfall outlook, flooding and rain-induced landslides are likely in areas that are susceptible to these hazards.
However, Iglesia said the severe tropical storm may weaken slightly as it makes landfall by tonight or tomorrow morning around the area of Isabela.
“Tomorrow morning, we are also expecting that it crosses the terrain of Northern Luzon and it will go to the western part of the Ilocos region tomorrow afternoon. We are expecting it to weaken once it makes its landfall but it will re-intensify when crossing the ocean” she said
Iglesia added that there is also a storm surge threat which can reach about 1-2 meters high along the coastal areas of the Ilocos region.
Both small boats and large sea vessels are also prohibited from going out to sea due to the gale warning in all provinces of the region, as waves at sea can rise up to 3.4-8 meters high.
As of the latest weather bulletin of PAGASA at 8:00 p.m., Pangasinan, La Union, and the southern portion of Ilocos Sur are under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TWCS) No. 3, while the northern portion of Ilocos Sur and the whole of Ilocos Norte is under TWCS No. 2.
Additionally, moderate to heavy rains are expected in the four provinces in the region that may persist in the next two to three hours. (MJTAB/EJFG, PIA Ilocos Norte)
