Tropical Storm Ada with international name "Nokaen" continues to maintain its strength while slowly moving away from Catanduanes, the PAGASA reported in Tropical Cyclone Bulletin No. 19 issued at 11:00 AM today, January 18.

As of 10:00 AM, the storm’s center was estimated 140 km northeast of Virac, Catanduanes (14.4°N, 125.2°E), with maximum sustained winds of 75 km/h near the center, gusts up to 90 km/h, and a central pressure of 996 hPa.

Ada is moving east-northeastward at a slow pace, with strong to gale-force winds extending up to 380 km from its center.

Meanwhile, Tropical Cyclone Wind Signals are still up in some areas:

• Signal No. 2 (Gale-force winds): Catanduanes and the eastern portion of Camarines Sur (Caramoan).

• Signal No. 1 (Strong winds): Southern Quezon (including Tagkawayan, Lopez, Calauag, Polillo Islands), Camarines Norte, the rest of Camarines Sur, Albay, Sorsogon, Ticao and Burias Islands, and Northern Samar.

PAGASA warned that gale-force winds could cause minor to moderate damage, while strong winds may pose a minimal to minor threat.

Other Hazards

• Heavy rainfall: Expected in areas affected by the storm; see PAGASA Weather Advisory No. 16 for details.

• Coastal flooding: Minimal to moderate storm surge of up to 2 meters is possible in low-lying communities in Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Albay, and Sorsogon.

• Rough seas: Coastal waters along the eastern seaboards of Luzon may reach up to 4 meters, with smaller craft advised not to venture out.

Tropical Storm Ada is forecast to move generally northeastward until tomorrow (19 January), after which it is expected to follow a looping track over the sea east of Luzon.

The storm is forecast to remain a tropical storm over the eastern seaboard before weakening into a tropical depression by Tuesday (20 January) and further into a low-pressure area by Thursday (22 January) due to the northeast monsoon.