The Office of Civil Defense asked local governments in areas that will be affected by ‘Ambo’ to prepare more evacuation sites.
OCD administrator Ricardo Jalad said Wednesday that LGUs must ensure physical distance can still be maintained to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease in temporary shelters.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 13) – Signal No. 1 was raised in Northern Samar, northern portions of Samar and Eastern Samar, a day after ‘Ambo’ developed into a tropical storm.
In its 11 a.m. update, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said light to heavy rains will prevail over Eastern Visayas, Catanduanes, Albay, Sorsogon, and Masbate.
The agency warned that sea travel is risky over the seaboards in the affected areas due to rough seas.
PAGASA forecaster Aldczar Aurelio said Ambo, the first tropical cyclone this year, is expected to intensify into a typhoon before making landfall in the Bicol area between Thursday night and Friday morning.
The weather specialist said the storm is seen to exit PAGASA’s monitoring area by Monday.
The storm was last seen 360 kilometers east of Borongan City, Eastern Samar, carrying maximum sustained winds of 85 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 105 kph.
Meanwhile, most parts of Luzon will continue to experience hot and humid weather, with the heat index ranging between 40 degrees celsius and 50 degrees celsius, Aurelio told CNN Philippines’ New Day earlier in the day.
Heat index is defined as the apparent temperature the human body feels, Aurelio said.
