Rosita makes landfall in Isabela

MANILA - (UPDATE) Typhoon Rosita (international name Yutu) made landfall in Dinapigue, Isabela at 4 a.m. Tuesday, state weather bureau PAGASA said.

In its 5 a.m. bulletin, the typhoon packs maximum sustained winds of 150 kilometers per hour (kph), with gusts of up to 210 kph.

Tropical cyclone warning signals remain hoisted over the following areas:

Signal No. 3

• Isabela
• Quirino
• Northern Aurora
• Nueva Vizcaya
• Ifugao
• Benguet
• La Union
• Ilocos Sur
• Mountain Province
• Pangasinan

Signal No. 2

• Cagayan
• Ilocos Norte
• Apayao
• Abra
• Kalinga
• Tarlac
• Nueva Ecija
• Northern Quezon including Polillo Island
• Southern Aurora
• Zambales​
• Pampanga​
• Bulacan

Signal No. 1

• Batanes
• Babuyan group of islands
• Rizal
• Metro Manila
• Laguna
• Batangas
• Bataan
• Cavite

PAGASA said moderate to heavy rains will be experienced over northern and central Luzon. Residents in these areas were warned of possible flooding and landslides.

Storm surges of up to 3 meters are possible over the coastal areas of Isabela, Cagayan, Aurora, Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, La Union, and Pangasinan, the state weather bureau added.

18TH TROPICAL CYCLONE​

The typhoon will be the 18th to hit the Philippines this year and comes 6 weeks after typhoon Ompong (international name Mangkhut) tore across Luzon, triggering landslides that killed dozens of people and damaged billions of pesos worth of agricultural goods.

School classes have been suspended in many provinces and fishermen in Luzon and the eastern seaboard were advised not to go to sea.​

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About half of the Philippines' 105 million population live in the Luzon region. The country is hit by an average 20 typhoons each year.

The typhoon caused havoc last week with a direct hit on the U.S. Northern Mariana islands. - with report from Reuters