Typhoon Hagupit has entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) before dawn Thursday and was given the local codename ‘Ruby,’ state weather agency PAGASA said.
According to PAGASA, ‘Ruby’ has intensified as it entered PAR. At 4 a.m., the typhoon was estimated at 942 km east-northeast of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur or 1,023 km east of Surigao City.
It packed maximum sustained winds of 175 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 210 kph, and is forecast to move west-northwest at 25 kph.
Current PAGASA forecast models indicate a chance of Ruby making landfall over Eastern Visayas Saturday morning or afternoon. Ruby is likely to linger in the PAR until Tuesday next week, the state weather bureau added.
In its 5 a.m. bulletin, PAGASA said Bicol region, Eastern Visayas, Caraga and Davao region will experience cloudy skies with light to moderate rain showers and thunderstorms.
Cagayan Valley and Aurora and Quezon provinces will have cloudy skies with light rain while Cordillera and Ilocos regions will experience partly cloudy to at times cloudy skies with isolated light rain.
Metro Manila and the rest of the country will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.
Moderate to strong winds from the northeast will prevail over Luzon and eastern section of Visayas and of Mindanao and the coastal waters along these areas will be moderate to rough.
Elsewhere, winds will be light to moderate coming from the northeast to north with slight to moderate seas.
PAGASA forecasters also warn of possible storm surges of up to four meters in Eastern Visayas, Bicol and northeast Mindanao.
Meanwhile, the Department of Education has posted on its Facebook page the list of areas where classes have been suspended in anticipation of bad weather conditions due to Typhoon Ruby.
– Biliran Province (December 4 to 5, 2014)*
– Tacloban City (December 4 to 5, 2014)
– Catbalogan, Samar (December 4 to 5, 2014)
– Leyte (December 4 to 5, 2014)
– Southern Leyte (December 4 to 5, 2014)
– Northern Leyte (December 4 to 5, 2014)
*Culaba, Biliran suspension is on December 5, 2014 only
