A total of 21 areas have been placed under storm signals as
Typhoon Ruby (Hagupit) sustained its path toward the Philippines,
according to state weather agency PAGASA.
The
following areas have been placed under Storm Signal No. 2: Northern
Samar, Eastern Samar, Samar, Biliran, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Surigao del
Norte, Dinagat Island, and Siargao Island.
Signal No. 1 is raised over Catanduanes, Albay, Sorsogon, Masbate
including Ticao Island, Cebu City, Northern Cebu, Bantayan Island,
Camotes Island, Bohol, Surigao del Sur, Camiguin Island, and Agusan del
Norte.
Ruby slowed down to 15 kilometers per hour while
keeping its sustained near-center winds of 205 kph and gusts of up to
240 kph, PAGASA said in its 11:00 p.m. weather bulletin Thursday.
PAGASA expects the typhoon to be 270 kms. east of Borongan, Eastern
Samar before making landfall somewhere in the Eastern Samar-Northern
Samar Area on Saturday evening.
JTWC track
But the Hawaii-based Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) continued to forecast a different track for the typhoon.
According to the latest JTWC latest bulletin, the typhoon is expected
to make landfall in Samar — similar to the PAGASA forecast — but still
forecasts the typhoon to track toward Metro Manila on the way out of the
Philippines.