'Karding' strengthens into typhoon; signal no. 3 raised in 3 areas

Tropical cyclone Karding intensified into a typhoon Saturday night, state weather bureau PAGASA said.

In its 8 p.m. bulletin, PAGASA said Karding was last spotted 490 kilometers East of Baler, Aurora.

It is carrying maximum sustained winds of 120 kilometers per hour near the center, and gusts of up to 150 kilometers per hour. It is moving southwestward at 20 kilometers per hour.

Karding is likely to make landfall over the east coast of southern portion of Aurora or northern portion of Quezon Sunday afternoon or early evening.

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal Number 3 was hoisted over the northern portion of Camarines Norte (Vinzons) and the eastern portion of Polillo Islands (Kalongkooan Is., Kalotkot Is., Patnanungan Is., and Jomalig Is.).

Meanwhile, Signal Number 2 was raised over the following areas:

• The southern portion of Isabela (Dinapigue, San Guillermo, Jones, San Agustin, Echague, San Mariano)
• Quirino
• The central and southeastern portions of Nueva Vizcaya (Alfonso Castaneda, Dupax del Sur, Aritao, Santa Fe, Bambang, Dupax del Norte, Kasibu, Quezon, Bayombong, Diadi),
• Aurora
• Nueva Ecija
• The eastern portion of Tarlac (Concepcion, La Paz, Victoria, Pura, Ramos, Anao, San Manuel, Moncada, Paniqui, Gerona, City of Tarlac)
• Bulacan
• The eastern portion of Pampanga (Apalit, San Simon, San Luis, Candaba, Santa Ana, Arayat, Magalang)
• Metro Manila
• The northern and central portions of Quezon (General Nakar, Infanta, Real, Mauban, Calauag, Perez, Alabat, Quezon, Tagkawayan, Guinayangan, Sampaloc, Lucban, City of Tayabas, Lucena City, Pagbilao, Padre Burgos, Atimonan, Agdangan, Unisan, Plaridel, Gumaca, Lopez, Pitogo) including the rest of Polillo Islands
• The northern and central portions of Laguna (Santa Maria, Siniloan, Famy, Mabitac, Pakil, Pangil, Paete, Kalayaan, Lumban, Cavinti, Santa Cruz, Pagsanjan, Magdalena, Luisiana, Majayjay, Liliw, Pila, Victoria, Nagcarlan, Bay, Los Baños, City of Calamba, City of Santa Rosa, City of Biñan, City of San Pedro, Cabuyao City, Rizal, Calauan),
• The northeastern portion of Cavite (Bacoor City, Kawit, Imus City, City of Dasmariñas, Carmona, Gen. Mariano Alvarez, Cavite City)
• Rizal
• The eastern portion of Pangasinan (Umingan, Bautista, Alcala, Rosales, Balungao, Santa Maria, San Quintin, Natividad, Tayug, Asingan, San Nicolas,
• San Manuel, Santo Tomas, Bayambang, Malasiqui, Villasis, City of Urdaneta, Binalonan, Laoac, Sison, Pozorrubio),
• The northern portion of Camarines Sur (Del Gallego, Ragay, Lupi, Sipocot, Siruma, Lagonoy, Garchitorena, Caramoan, Tinambac, Presentacion, San Jose, Goa, Cabusao, Libmanan, Calabanga, Bombon, Magarao)
• The northern and central portions of Catanduanes (Caramoran, Pandan, Bagamanoc, Panganiban, Viga, San Miguel, Baras, Gigmoto, San Andres),
• The rest of Camarines Norte

Storm Signal Number 1 was hoisted in the the following areas:

• The southern portion of Cagayan (Peñablanca, Iguig, Tuguegarao City, Enrile, Solana, Tuao, Piat, Amulung, Rizal)
• The rest of Isabela, the rest of Nueva Vizcaya
• The southern portion of Apayao (Conner)
• Abra
• Kalinga
• Mountain Province
• Ifugao, Benguet
• The southern portion of Ilocos Norte (Nueva Era, Badoc, Pinili, Banna, City of Batac, Currimao, Paoay, Marcos)
• Ilocos Sur
• La Union
• The rest of Pangasinan
• The rest of Tarlac
• The rest of Pampanga
• Zambales
• Bataan
• The rest of Laguna
• The rest of Quezon
• The rest of Cavite
• Batangas
• The rest of Camarines Sur
• Albay
• The rest of Catanduanes
• Marinduque
• The northwestern portion of Occidental Mindoro (Lubang Islands, Paluan, Abra de Ilog), and the northewestern portion of Oriental Mindoro (San Teodoro, Puerto Galera, City of Calapan, Baco)

"Under these conditions, scattered flooding and rain-induced landslides are possible, especially in areas that are highly or very highly susceptible to these hazard," said PAGASA.

The weather bureau said that throughout the passage of the typhoon, gale warning remains in effect over the eastern seaboards of Luzon.

After crossing Central Luzon, Karding is forecast to emerge over the West Philippine Sea Sunday late evening or Monday early morning. It will then continue tracking westward over the West Philippine Sea for the remainder of the forecast period.