Typhoon “Bising” (international name: “Surigae”) maintained its strength on Monday morning, April 19, as it turned north-northwest east of Catanduanes.

In a severe weather bullletin issued at 5 a.m., the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Bising maintained its strength, with maximum sustained winds of 195 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of up to 240 kph.

The typhoon has barely moved. As of 4 a.m., the center of the eye of Bising was 250 kilometers (km) east-northeast of Virac, Catanduanes, moving north-northwest at 10 kph.

READ: Tropical Cyclone Bising tracker

PAGASA said Bising is expected to remain offshore but will continue to bring moderate to heavy with at times intense rains over Albay, Catanduanes, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Sorsogon, Masbate, Northern Samar, Samar, Eastern Samar, Biliran, and Leyte Monday.

By Tuesday, April 20, moderate to heavy rains will prevail over Albay, Catanduanes, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Sorsogon, Masbate, and Northern Samar.

“Under these conditions and considering the antecedent rainfall over the aforementioned areas, flooding including flash floods and rain-induced landslides, are increasingly likely to occur especially in areas identified in hazard maps as highly or very highly susceptible to these hazards,” PAGASA warned.

Signal No. 2 remained hoisted over Catanduanes, eastern portion of Camarines Sur, eastern portion of Albay, eastern and central portions of Sorsogon, Northern Samar, Samar, Eastern Samar, and Biliran.

Areas under Signal No. 1 were the eastern portion of Isabela, northern portion of Aurora, southeastern portion of Quezon including Polillo Islands, Camarines Norte, rest of Camarines Sur, rest of Albay, rest of Sorsogon, Masbate including Burias and Ticao Islands, Leyte, Southern Leyte, northern portion of Cebu including Bantayan and Camotes Islands, Dinagat Islands, Siargao Islands, and Bucas Grande Islands.

In the next 24 hours, PAGASA said the northeasterly wind flow enhanced by the typhoon will also bring strong breeze to near-gale conditions with higher gusts over most parts of Northern Luzon, Aurora, and the rest of Quezon that are not under any tropical cyclone wind signal.

PAGASA said such conditions are more likely to occur in the coastal and mountainous areas.

Bising may also trigger “very rough to very high seas” over the eastern seaboard of Luzon with wave heights up to 5.0-12.0 meters (m), and “rough to very high seas” over the northern and eastern seaboards of Eastern Visayas (2.5-7.0 m).

Rough to very rough seas may also prevail over the northern and western seaboards of Northern Luzon (2.5-5.0 m) and the eastern seaboard of Caraga (2.5-4.5 m), and rough seas over the remaining seaboards of localities where wind signals are in effect and eastern seaboard of Davao Oriental (2.5-4.0 m).

“Sea travel is risky for all types of seacrafts over these waters,” PAGASA said.

Projected track and intensity

Typhoon Bising could continue to move generally north or north-northwest until Wednesday evening, April 21 or Thursday morning, April 22, PAGASA said.

Afterward, the typhoon will move northeast throughout Thursday and east-northeast on Friday, April 23, away from Luzon landmass, it added.

PAGASA noted that the typhoon could maintain its current intensity in the next 12 to 24 hours before gradually weakening throughout the remainder of the forecast period.

Bising will likely be at 300 km northeast of Virac, Catanduanes or 510 km east of Baler, Aurora by Tuesday morning; 430 km east of Tuguegarao City, Cagayan by Wednesday morning; 405 km east of Calayan, Cagayan by Thursday morning; 505 km east of Basco, Batanes by Friday morning; and 965 km east-northeast of Basco, Batanes by Saturday morning, April 24.