Karding Reaches Super Typhoon Category, Threatens Luzon

(UPDATE) Typhoon Karding (international name Noru) has reached super typhoon category after a period of "explosive" intensification, state weather bureau PAGASA said Sunday.

Karding, the 11th storm to hit the country this year, was spotted over the coastal waters of Burdeos, Polillo Islands in Quezon at 4 p.m. It packs maximum sustained winds of 195 kilometers per hour near the center and gusts up to 240 km/h, moving west at 20 km/h.

Karding is likely to make landfall in the vicinity of the northern portion of Quezon on Sunday night, with an earlier landfall or close approach in the vicinity of Polillo Islands possible. It is forecast to maintain its strength prior to its landfall, PAGASA said.

"Frictional effects during landfall and traverse of the Luzon landmass will weaken Karding throughout the evening through tomorrow early morning, although it is highly likely that this tropical cyclone will remain a typhoon while crossing the landmass," it added.

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 Signal No. 5 (typhoon-force winds) is hoisted over:

• Polillo Islands
• The extreme northern portion of Quezon (the northern and central portions of General Nakar, the northeastern portion of Infanta)
• The extreme southern portion of Aurora (Dingalan)
• The extreme southern portion of Nueva Ecija (General Tinio, City of Gapan, Peñaranda, San Isidro, Cabiao)
• Pampanga (Arayat, Candaba, Santa Ana, San Luis)
• The eastern and central portions of Bulacan (San Rafael, Angat, Norzagaray, Doña Remedios Trinidad, San Ildefonso, San Miguel)
• The extreme northern portion of Rizal (Rodriguez)
• The eastern portion of Pampanga (Candaba, Arayat)

Signal No. 4 (typhoon-force winds) is prevailing over:

• Calaguas Islands
• The central and southern portion of Nueva Ecija (Cuyapo, Nampicuan, Guimba, Licab, Zaragoza, San Antonio, San Leonardo, Jaen, Santa Rosa, Palayan City, Gabaldon, Laur, Cabanatuan City, Aliaga, Quezon, Santo Domingo, Talavera, Llanera, General Mamerto Natividad, Rizal, Bongabon, Talugtug, Science City of Muñoz)
• The northern portion of Metro Manila (Marikina, Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, Valenzuela, and Quezon City)
• Tarlac
• The rest of Pampanga
• The rest of Bulacan, Zambales
• The northern portion of Bataan (Dinalupihan, Hermosa, Morong, Orani, Samal, Abucay)
• The southern portion of Pangasinan (Bautista, Alcala, Bayambang, Mangatarem, Urbiztondo, Aguilar, Bugallon, Infanta, Dasol, Burgos, Mabini, Labrador)
• The extreme northern portion of Laguna (Famy, Siniloan, Santa Maria, Pangil)

Signal No. 3 (storm-force winds) is up over:

• The central portion of Aurora (Dipaculao)
• The southeastern portion of Nueva Vizcaya (Alfonso Castaneda, Dupax del Sur, Dupax del Norte)
• The rest of Nueva Ecija
• The rest of Bataan
• The rest of Pangasinan
• The rest of Metro Manila
• The rest of Rizal
• The northern and central portions of Laguna (Mabitac, Pakil, Paete, Kalayaan, Lumban, Cavinti, Pagsanjan, Luisiana, Majayjay, Magdalena, Santa Cruz, Pila, Liliw, Nagcarlan, Victoria, Rizal, City of San Pedro, City of Biñan, City of Santa Rosa, Cabuyao City, City of Calamba, Los Baños, Bay, Calauan)
• The northern and central portions of Cavite (Tanza, Rosario, Noveleta, Kawit, Imus City, Bacoor City, City of Dasmariñas, Carmona, Gen. Mariano Alvarez, Silang, Amadeo, City of General Trias, Trece Martires City, Naic, Indang)
• The rest of the northern portion of Quezon (Infanta, Real, General Nakar, Mauban)
• The northern portion of Camarines Norte (Vinzons, Paracale, Jose Panganiban, Capalonga)

Signal No. 2 (gale-force winds) is prevailing over:

• The southern portion of Isabela (Dinapigue, San Guillermo, Echague, San Agustin, Jones)
• Quirino
• The rest of Nueva Vizcaya
• Benguet
• La Union
• The rest of Aurora
• The rest of Cavite
• Batangas
• The rest of Laguna
• The central portions of Quezon (Calauag, Perez, Alabat, Quezon, Tagkawayan, Guinayangan, Sampaloc, Lucban, City of Tayabas, Lucena City, Pagbilao, Padre Burgos, Atimonan, Agdangan, Unisan, Plaridel, Gumaca, Lopez, Pitogo, Dolores, Candelaria, Sariaya, Tiaong, San Antonio, Macalelon, General Luna, Catanauan, Buenavista)
• The rest of Camarines Norte
• The northern portion of Camarines Sur (Del Gallego, Ragay, Lupi, Sipocot, Libmanan, Pamplona, Pasacao, San Fernando, Pili, Minalabac, Ocampo, Tigaon, Cabusao, Magarao, Gainza, Canaman, Camaligan, Milaor, Naga City, Bombon, Calabanga, Tinambac, Siruma, Goa, Lagonoy, San Jose, Garchitorena, Presentacion, Caramoan, Sagñay)
• Catanduanes

Signal No. 1 (strong winds) is up over:

• The southern portion of Cagayan (Tuao, Solana, Enrile, Tuguegarao City, Iguig, Peñablanca)
• The rest of Isabela
• The southern portion of Apayao (Conner)
• Kalinga, Abra, Mountain Province, Ifugao, the southern portion of Ilocos Norte (Nueva Era, Badoc, Pinili, Banna, City of Batac, Currimao, Paoay, Marcos)
• Ilocos Sur
• The rest of Quezon
• The northern portion of Occidental Mindoro (Abra de Ilog, Paluan, Mamburao, Santa Cruz) including Lubang Islands
• The northern portion of Oriental Mindoro (Puerto Galera, San Teodoro, Baco, City of Calapan, Naujan, Victoria, Pola, Socorro, Pinamalayan)
• Marinduque
• The rest of Camarines Sur
• Albay
• Sorsogon
• Burias Island
• Ticao Island

Heavy to intens with at times torrential rains are expected on Sunday afternoon through early Monday morning over Metro Manila, Zambales, Bataan, Tarlac, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, Aurora, Rizal, and the northern portion of Quezon including Polillo Islands.

Moderate to heavy with at times intense rains may also occur over Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Benguet, Ifugao, Mountain Province, Pangasinan, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, the central portion of Quezon, Occidental Mindoro and Camarines Norte, with light to moderate with at times heavy rains over Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, and the rest of Calabarzon and Bicol Region.

Karding is forecast to track generally westward in the next six to 12 hours, then west northwestward for the remainder of the day, PAGASA said.

It will then pass over Central Luzon and emerge over the West Philippine Sea over the coastal waters of Zambales or Pangasinan. The typhoon will then continue moving westward over the West Philippine Sea for the remainder of the forecast period, it added.

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