MANILA (UPDATE)Typhoon Ulysses (international name: Vamco) maintained its strength as it traversed Luzon, the state weather bureau said Thursday.

The country's 21st storm this year, which came just days after super typhoon Rolly (international name: Goni) battered Bicol, was last estimated in the vicinity of San Antonio town, Nueva Ecija as of 4 a.m., PAGASA said in its 5 a.m. weather bulletin.

It packed maximum sustained winds of 155 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center, with gusts of up to 255 kph.

PAGASA said Ulysses would continue crossing the landmass of central Luzon, bringing destructive winds and heavy to intense with at times torrential rains over central and southern portions of Aurora, the northern portion of Quezon including Polillo Islands, Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, Tarlac, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Zambales, Bataan, Metro Manila, and Rizal within the next three hours.

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The typhoon is forecast to slightly weaken while crossing Central Luzon due to "frictional effects in the presence of the Sierra Madre and Zambales Mountain Ranges."

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 3 was hoisted over Catanduanes and other parts of Bicol, where thousands remained displaced and houses and critical infrastructure in ruins, as well as Metro Manila.

PAGASA said "typhoon-force winds" and intense with at times torrential rains associated with the region of the eyewall and inner rainbands of Ulysses will be experienced over central and southern portions of Aurora, the northern and central portion of Quezon including Polillo Islands, and the western portion of Camarines Norte within the next three hours.

Heavy damage to infrastructure and vegetation should be expected, it added.

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Here is the full list of areas under the storm signal no. 3, where 121-170 kph winds should be 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
• Batangas
• northern and central portions of Quezon (San Antonio, Tiaong, Dolores, Candelaria, Sariaya, Lucena City, Pagbilao, Tayabas City, Lucban, Mauban, Sampaloc, Padre Burgos, Atimonan, Perez, Alabat, Plaridel, Agdangan, Real, Infanta, General Nakar) including Polillo Islands

The following areas were placed under signal no. 2, where 61-120 kph winds are expected within 24 hours and may damage wooden and old electric posts:

• central and southern portions of Isabela (Mallig, Quirino, Ilagan, Roxas, Burgos, Gamu, Palanan, San Mariano, Dinapigue, San Guillermo, Benito Soliven, Naguilian, Reina Mercedes, Luna, San Manuel, Aurora, Cabatuan, Cauayan City, San Mateo, Alicia, Angadanan, Echague, Jones, San Agustin, San Isidro, Ramon, Santiago City, Cordon)
• rest of Quirino
• rest of Nueva Vizcaya
• Mountain Province
• Ifugao
• Benguet
• southern portion of Ilocos Sur (Cervantes, Quirino, San Emilio, Lidlidda, Santiago, Banayoyo, Candon City, Galimuyod, Gregorio Del Pilar, Salcedo, Santa Lucia, Santa Cruz, Sigay, Suyo, Tagudin, Alilem, Sugpon)
• La Union
• 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)
• Marinduque
• rest of Quezon
• Camarines Norte
• western portion of Camarines Sur (Pamplona, Pasacao, Libmanan, Cabusao, Sipocot, Lupi, Ragay, Del Gallego)

Signal No. 1 was 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:

• rest of Isabela
• Kalinga
• Abra
• rest of Ilocos Sur
• rest of Occidental Mindoro
• rest of Oriental Mindoro
• Romblon
• rest of Camarines Sur
• western portion of Albay (Tabaco City, Malilipot, Guinobatan, Pio Duran, Ligao City, Oas, Polangui, Tiwi, Malinao, Libon)
• Burias Island

Ulysses was projected to cross Central Luzon and emerge over the western seaboard of Zambales on Thursday, PAGASA said.

It should be expected to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) by Friday.

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The typhoon made landfall thrice in Quezon. It first made landfall near Patnanungan town in Quezon at 10:30 p.m. It then made its second landfall near Burdeos town, also in Quezon, at 11:20 p.m.

Ulysses made its third landfall near General Nakar town in Quezon at 1:30 a.m.

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Heavy to intense with at times torrential rains will prevail until Thursday noon over Metro Manila, Calabarzon and Central Luzon, while moderate to heavy with at times intense rains will be experienced in Cordillera Administrative Region, mainland Cagayan Valley, Babuyan Islands, Pangasinan, Marinduque, and the northern portion of Mindoro Provinces including Lubang Island.

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

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By Thursday noon to evening, moderate to heavy rains may be experienced over Cordillera Administrative Region, the eastern portions of Cagayan and Isabela, Zambales, Bataan, Aurora, Metro Manila, Cavite, the western portion of Batangas, and the northern portion of Occidental Mindoro including Lubang Island, while light to moderate with at times heavy rains may prevail over Western Visayas and the rest of Luzon.

PAGASA likewise 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.

• Water level at Marikina River rises to 19 meters, as Ulysses drenches metro

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

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

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Visit the ABS-CBN Weather Center for updates.