Himawari-9/RAMMB satellite imagery 

MANILA (UPDATE) — State weather bureau PAGASA lifted Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 3 Thursday night as severe tropical storm Kristine (international name: Trami) moved slowly towards Lingayen Gulf.

In its 11 p.m. weather bulletin, PAGASA said Kristine was over the coastal waters of Bolinao, Pangasinan, packing maximum sustained winds of 95 kilometers per hour near the center, with gusts of up to 145 kph.

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 2 remains hoisted over the following areas, where gale-force winds are expected within 24 hours:

• Cagayan including Babuyan Islands

•  Isabela

•  Quirino

•  Nueva Vizcaya

•  Apayao

•  Kalinga

•  Abra

•  Ifugao

•  Mountain Province

•  Benguet

•  Ilocos Norte

•  Ilocos Sur

•  La Union

•  Pangasinan

•  Aurora

•  Nueva Ecija

•  Tarlac

•  Zambales

•  Bataan

•  Pampanga

•  Bulacan

•  Metro Manila

Northern portion of Cavite (Ternate, Maragondon, Naic, Tanza, City of General Trias, Rosario, Cavite City, Noveleta, Kawit, Imus City, Bacoor City)

Northern portion of Rizal (Cainta, Taytay, Angono, San Mateo, Rodriguez, Tanay, City of Antipolo, Baras, Teresa, Morong)

Northern portion of mainland Quezon (General Nakar)

Signal No. 1, meanwhile, was raised over the following areas:

•  Batanes

•  Rest of Rizal

•  Rest of Cavite

•  Batangas

•  Laguna

•  Rest of Quezon

•  Occidental Mindoro

•  Oriental Mindoro including Lubang Islands

•  Marinduque

•  Romblon

•  Northern portion of mainland Palawan (El Nido, Taytay, Araceli, San Vicente, Dumaran, Roxas) including Calamian, Cuyo, and, Kalayaan Islands

•  Camarines Norte

•  Camarines Sur

•  Catanduanes

•  Albay

•  Sorsogon

•  Masbate including Ticao and Burias Islands 

•  Aklan

•  Capiz

•  Antique including Caluya Islands

•  Iloilo

•  Bantayan Islands

•  Western portion of Northern Samar (Lope de Vega, Rosario, Biri, San Isidro, Capul, San Vicente, Victoria, Lavezares, San Antonio, Mondragon, San Jose, Catarman, San Roque, Allen, Bobon)

•  Northern portion of Samar (Calbayog City, Tagapul-An)

Kristine is moving slowly south southwestward, and is expected to move westward in the next 12 hours and exit the Philippine area of responsibility on Friday.

PAGASA also said there is a possibility that Kristine will loop over the West Philippine Sea on Sunday and Monday, and “move eastward or east northwestward towards the general direction of the PAR region”, but this will depend on the behavior of the weather disturbance east of the PAR region.

Meanwhile, the low pressure area outside of PAR has developed into a tropical depression. This will be assigned the local name “Leon” once it enters PAR.

As of Thursday morning, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported at least seven casualties.

Of the seven reported deaths, six are from the Bicol region and one from CALABARZON. The four injuries are all from Bicol region, which also logged five missing persons. Ilocos Region and CALABARZON each reported one missing individual.

The NDRRMC said a total of 2,077,643 individuals or 431,738 families were affected by the severe tropical storm. Of this figure, over 43,000 families or more than 163,000 persons trooped to evacuation centers. 

Kristine leaves several dead, around 2 million affected: NDRRMC

The storm has also prompted class and government work suspensions in Luzon since Wednesday.

Palace suspends all classes, gov't work in Luzon on Oct. 25 due to storm