Wind Signal No. 1 was raised in 22 areas in Luzon on Thursday morning as “Paolo” intensified into a tropical storm.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) hoisted Signal No. 1 over mainland Cagayan, Isabela, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, Apayao, Abra, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Benguet, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, northern portion of Zambales, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Aurora, northern portion of Bulacan, northern portion of Pampanga, northern portion of Quezon (including Babuyan Islands), and northern portion of Catanduanes.
PAGASA said Paolo turned into a tropical storm at 2 a.m. and may further intensify into a severe tropical storm on Friday morning prior to landfall in Isabela or Aurora.
As of 4 a.m. Thursday, the center of Paolo was some 705 km east of Infanta, Quezon.
It is packing maximum sustained winds of 65 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 80 kph.
Paolo, the country’s 16th tropical cyclone for this year, is moving west northwestward at 20 kph.
The country’s last tropical cyclone, typhoon “Opong,” left at least 37 people dead, mostly in Bicol and Eastern Visayas.
