‘Karen’ grows stronger; 8 areas in Luzon under Signal No. 3

MANILA, Philippines - Public Storm Warning Signal No. 3 has been raised over more areas in Luzon on Saturday afternoon after Typhoon Karen accelerated and intensified, state weather bureau PAGASA said.

In a severe weather bulletin issued at 1 p.m., PAGASA said Karen was last spotted at 120 kilometers north northwest of Virac, Catanduanes, with maximum sustained winds of 120 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gusts of up to 180 kph.

Karen is now moving west northwest at 20 kph.

Areas under storm warning signals are the following:

Signal No. 3

• Camarines Norte
• northern Quezon including Polillo Island
• Nueva Ecija
• Nueva Vizcaya
• Tarlac
• Pangasinan
• Aurora
• northern Zambales

Signal No. 2

• Catanduanes
• rest of Quezon
• Quirino
• Camarines Sur
• Rizal
• Bulacan
• rest of Zambales
• La Union
• Pampanga
• Ifugao
• Benguet
• southern Isabela

Signal No. 1

• Albay
• Sorsogon
• Masbate including Ticao Island and Burias Island
• rest of Isabela
• Ilocos Sur
• Romblon
• Marinduque
• Oriental Mindoro
• Batangas
• Laguna
• Cavite
• Metro Manila
• Bataan
• Abra
• Kalinga
• Mt. Province

PAGASA warned residents living in coastal areas under Signal Nos. 3 and 2 of storm surges which may reach up to a fourteen-meter wave height.

The weather bureau said moderate to heavy rainfall is expected within the 500-kilometer diameter of the typhoon.

Karen is seen to make landfall over Quezon-Aurora area on Sunday morning and hit Dagupan City, Pangasinan.

The typhoon is expected to traverse the provinces of Iba, Zambales and Pagsa Island, Palawan; outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) until Wednesday morning.

PAGASA warned that sea travel is risky over the seaboards of northern and eastern Samar.

The weather bureau is also tracking a tropical depression east of Mindanao which could enter PAR on Tuesday.