MANILA (UPDATE) - Storm signal No. 3 was raised in several provinces still reeling from Super Typhoon Rolly, the capital region and several other areas as weather system Ulysses intensified into a typhoon and headed towards Quezon and Aurora, the state weather bureau said Wednesday.

The country's 21st storm this year, which came just days since super storm 'Rolly' battered the Bicol region, was last estimated 125 kilometers north-northwest of Virac, Catanduanes or 95 km northeast of Daet, Camarines Norte as of 1 p.m.

In its latest bulletin, PAGASA said Ulysses had picked up strength, currently packing maximum winds of 135 kph near the center and gusts of up to 165 kph.

Ulysses is forecast to make landfall over Polillo Islands and mainland Quezon between Wednesday night and early Thursday, cross Central Luzon and emerge over the western seaboard of Zambales on Thursday, PAGASA said.

Places under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) number 3 include Catanduanes and other parts of Bicol earlier devastated by Super Typhoon Rolly. Thousands there remain displaced, and houses and critical infrastructure are in ruins.

Here is the full list of areas under the storm signal, where 121-170 kph winds are expected within 18 hours and may uproot trees and cause moderate to heavy damage:

• Metro Manila
• southern portion of Quirino (Maddela, Nagtipunan)
• southern portion of Nueva Vizcaya (Alfonso Castaneda, Dupax Del Norte, Dupax Del Sur)
• Pangasinan
• Nueva Ecija
• Aurora
• Tarlac
• Zambales
• Bataan
• Pampanga
• Bulacan
• Rizal
• Cavite
• Laguna
• northern and central portions of Quezon (General Nakar, Infanta, Real, Mauban, Sampaloc, Lucban, Tayabas City, Sariaya, Candelaria, Dolores, Tiaong, San Antonio, Lucena City, Pagbilao, Atimonan, Padre Burgos, Unisan, Agdangan, Gumaca, Plaridel, Pitogo, Macalelon, Lopez, General Luna, Catanauan, Buenavista, Guinayangan, Tagkawayan, Calauag, Quezon, Alabat, Perez) including Polillo Islands
• Batangas
• Catanduanes
• Camarines Norte
• northern portion of Camarines Sur (Del Gallego, Ragay, Lupi, Sipocot, Cabusao, Bombon, Calabanga, Tinambac, Siruma, Goa, Lagonoy, San Jose, Garchitorena, Presentacion, Caramoan)

The following areas are under signal number 2, where 61-120 kph winds are expected within 24 hours and may damage wooden and old electric posts:

• rest of Quirino,
• rest of Nueva Vizcaya
• southern portion of Benguet (Bokod, Itogon, Tublay, La Trinidad, Sablan, Baguio City, Tuba)
• southern portion of La Union (Burgos, Naguilian, Bauang, Caba, Aringay, Tubao, Pugo, Santo Tomas, Rosario, Agoo)
• rest of Quezon
• Marinduque
• northern portion of Occidental Mindoro (Paluan, Abra de Ilog) including Lubang Island
• northern portion of Oriental Mindoro (Pola, Victoria, Naujan, Baco, Calapan City, San Teodoro, Puerto Galera)
• rest of Camarines Sur
• Albay
• Sorsogon
• Burias and Ticao Islands

Signal number 1 is hoisted over the following areas, where 30-60 kph winds may rip roofs off nipa and cogon huts, damage rice crops and down banana plants:

• Isabela
• Kalinga
• Mountain Province
• Ifugao
• rest of Benguet
• Abra
• Ilocos Sur
• rest of La Union
• rest of Occidental Mindoro
• rest of Oriental Mindoro
• Romblon
• rest of Masbate
• Northern Samar
• northern portion of Samar (Santo Nino, Almagro, Tagapul-An, Tarangnan, Calbayog City, Santa Margarita, Gandara, Pagsanghan, San Jorge, San Jose de Buan, Matuguinao)
• northern portion of Eastern Samar (Maslog, Dolores, Oras, San Policarpo, Arteche, Jipapad)

Ulysses may slightly weaken as it crosses mainland Luzon due to "frictional effects in the presence" of the Sierra Madre and Zambales Mountain Ranges, but is likely to remain a typhoon, PAGASA added.

On Wednesday, heavy to intense with at times torrential rains will prevail over Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur and Catanduanes, while moderate to heavy with at times intense rains will be experienced in Albay, Sorsogon, Quezon including Polillo Islands, and Burias and Ticao Islands.

Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon and Visayas will experience light to moderate with at times heavy rains, PAGASA said.

It warned that flooding, rain-induced landslides, and sediment-laden streamflows (e.g. lahar) may occur during heavy or prolonged rainfall especially in areas that are highly susceptible to these hazards and those where heavy rains were earlier recorded.

The Office of Civil Defense in Bicol Region said over 3,500 families or nearly 13,000 individuals had been evacuated in preparation of Ulysses' onslaught.

Nearly 1,000 passengers are also stranded in various seaports in the region as 51 sea vessels are not allowed to sail for now.

Meanwhile, all national roads in Bicol remain passable as of 2 p.m, except for the Sto. Domingo-Buhatan-Cagraray Circumferential Road due to rockfall and landslide, the OCD-Region 5 said.

Four more storms could enter the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) before the end of the year, PAGASA said.

• 4 more storms could hit Philippines by year-end: PAGASA

Watch more in iWantv or TFC.tv