Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal (TCWS) No. 4 was hoisted over Cagayan and northern Isabela as Typhoon Ompong further accelerated toward northern Luzon on Friday afternoon.

Areas under Signal No. 4 are expected to experience winds moving at 171 to 220 kph within the next 12 hours.

The 5 p.m. bulletin said Ompong continued to accelerate as it moved closer toward Isabela and Cagayan.

It is expected to move northwest at 30 kph, compared to the speed of 25 kph from the previous forecast.

As of 4 p.m., its eye was located 340 kilometers east-northeast of Casiguran, Aurora, packing maximum sustained winds moving 205 kph near the center with gustiness of up to 255 kph.

PAGASA weather forecaster Lorie dela Cruz said in a report that Ompong is expected to make landfall early Saturday morning between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m.

GMA News resident meteorologist Nathaniel “Mang Tani” Cruz said it would take Ompong around 10 hours to cross northern Luzon.

By around Saturday noon, it will have crossed land and move toward the West Philippine Sea and out of the Philippine Area of Responsibility by Saturday night.

Sierra Madre and Cordillera mountain range, the country’s natural defense wall against weather disturbances, are also expected to weaken Ompong as it crosses Luzon.

Mang Tani said chances of Ompong intensifying further are already unlikely since it is already nearing landfall. He also said Ompong’s path will most likely no longer change.

The following areas remain under Signal No. 3:

• Babuyan group of Islands
• Ilocos Norte
• Ilocos Sur
• Apayao
• Abra
• Benguet
• Kalinga
• Mountain Province
• Ifugao
• Nueva Vizcaya
• Quirino
• Northern Aurora
• Southern Isabela

Areas under Signal No. 2 include:

• Batanes
• La Union
• Pangasinan
• Tarlac
• Nueva Ecija
• Southern Aurora
• Northern Zambales

Signal No. 1 is hoisted over

• Southern Zambales
• Pampanga
• Bulacan
• Bataan
• Rizal
• Metro Manila
• Cavite
• Batangas
• Laguna
• Quezon incl. Polillo Is.
• Northern Occidental Mindoro incl. Lubang Is.
• Northern Oriental Mindoro
• Masbate
• Marinduque
• Camarines Norte
• Camarines Sur
• Catanduanes
• Albay
• Sorsogon
• Burias and Ticao Islands
• Northern Samar

Storm Surge

PAGASA warned about the possibility of a six-meter storm surge (above mean sea level) that could affect storm surge-prone areas in Cagayan and Isabela as well as in the Ilocos provinces.

Storm surges are also possible in coastal areas under Signals No. 2 and 3.

PAGASA also advised fisherfolks and those with small seacrafts not to venture out over the seaboards of areas with TCWS and the seaboards of Visayas and of Mindanao.

Waves over open sea could get higher than 14 meters at the seaboards of areas under Signal No. 4, PAGASA added.

Wave heights in the seaboards of areas under Signal No. 1 and 2 were projected to be at a range of 4.1-14.0 meters and 1.25-4.0 meters, respectively.

Habagat

As Typhoon Ompong is also expected to enhance the Southwest Monsoon or Habagat, PAGASA said it can cause gusty winds with occasional moderate to heavy rains over Visayas.

The enhanced power of the Habagat can also bring scattered light to moderate to at times heavy rains to Palawan, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao and Caraga.

“Residents in these areas, especially those living near river channels, in low-lying areas and in mountainous areas, are advised to take appropriate actions against possible flooding and landslides, coordinate with local disaster risk reduction and management offices, and to continue monitoring for updates,” PAGASA said.

Another severe weather bulletin will be issued at 8 p.m. — MDM/NB, GMA News