Storm Ambo whips Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan

MANILA - Tropical cyclone Ambo (international name Vongfong) weakened into a tropical storm as it struck the northwestern Nueva Ecija and eastern Pangasinan area in Luzon early Saturday morning, state weather bureau PAGASA said.

Ambo, which was packing maximum sustained winds of 85 kilometers per hour near the center and gusts of up to 140kph, earlier hammered Quezon and Bulacan provinces after making its 7th landfall over Real town.

Its eye was last spotted northeast of Guimba, Nueva Ecija, PAGASA said.

The storm, which was moving northwestward at 15kph, is bringing moderate to intense rains over the Cordillera Administrative Region, Cagayan Valley, Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, La Union, and Pangasinan. The Ilocos Region, meanwhile, may experience moderate to heavy rains.

Tropical cyclone wind signals remained hoisted over the following areas:

Signal number 2, where wind speeds of 61 to 120 kph may be experienced within 24 hours:

• Babuyan Islands
• the northwestern portion of mainland Cagayan (Santa Praxedes, Claveria, Sanchez Mira, Pamplona, Abulug)
• the southern and western portion of Isabela (Quezon, Mallig, Roxas, Quirino, San Manuel, Burgos, Gamu, Reina Mercedes, Aurora, Luna Cabatuan, Naguilian, Benito Soliven, Cauayan, San Guillermo, Dinapigue, San Mateo, Alicia, Angadanan, Ramon, San Isidro, Echague, Jones, San Agustin, Santiago, Cordon)
• Ilocos Norte
• Ilocos Sur
• Apayao
• Abra
• Kalinga
• Mountain Province
• Ifugao
• Benguet
• La Union
• Nueva Vizcaya
• Nueva Ecija
• Quirino
• Aurora
• Pangasinan
• Tarlac
• Pampanga
• Bulacan

Signal number 1, where wind speeds of 30 to 60 kph may be experienced within 36 hours:

• Batanes
• the rest of mainland Cagayan
• the rest of Isabela
• Zambales
• Bataan
• Metro Manila
• Rizal
• Cavite
• the northeastern and northwestern portions of Laguna (Santa Maria, Mabitac, Pakil, Famy, Siniloan, Pangil, San Pedro City, Biñan City, Santa Rosa City, Cabuyao City)
• the northern portion of Quezon (General Nakar, Infanta, Real) including Polillo Islands.

Ambo, the first tropical cyclone to hit the country this year, first made landfall over San Policarpo, Eastern Samar. It later hit Dalupiri Island, Northern Samar; Capul Island, Northern Samar; Ticao Island, Masbate; Burias Island, Masbate; and San Andres, Quezon.

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