MANILA, Philippines – Signal No. 2 was raised for the first time due to Ada (Nokaen) as the tropical storm slightly intensified on Friday evening, January 16.

Ada’s maximum sustained winds increased from 65 kilometers per hour to 75 km/h, said the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) in a bulletin issued at 11 pm on Friday. Its gustiness is now up to 90 km/h from the previous 80 km/h.

The tropical storm was last spotted 205 kilometers east of Catarman, Northern Samar, as of 10 pm. It slightly slowed down, moving west northwest at 15 km/h from 20 km/h.

Ada is still projected to pass close to Eastern Samar and Northern Samar on Saturday, January 17, and Catanduanes from Saturday evening to Sunday, January 18. Landfall in Eastern Visayas and/or Bicol remains a possibility, however, in case Ada’s track shifts further westward.

Afterwards, Ada could weaken into a tropical depression by Tuesday, January 20, due to the surge of the northeast monsoon or amihan.

Tropical cyclone wind signals are raised in these areas as of 11 pm on Friday:

Signal No. 2

Gale-force winds (62 to 88 km/h), minor to moderate threat to life and property

• eastern part of Camarines Sur (Siruma, Tinambac, Ocampo, Baao, Nabua, Bato, Iriga City, Buhi, Sagñay, Tigaon, Goa, Lagonoy, San Jose, Garchitorena, Presentacion, Caramoan)
• Catanduanes
• Albay
• Sorsogon
• Northern Samar
• northern part of Eastern Samar (Jipapad, Maslog, Dolores, Oras, San Policarpo, Arteche)
• northeastern part of Samar (Matuguinao, San Jose de Buan)

Signal No. 1

Strong winds (39 to 61 km/h), minimal to minor threat to life and property

• southern part of Quezon (San Narciso, Mulanay, San Francisco, San Andres, Buenavista, Catanauan, Lopez, Calauag, Guinayangan, Tagkawayan, Quezon, Alabat, Gumaca, General Luna, Macalelon, Pitogo)
• Camarines Norte
• rest of Camarines Sur
• Masbate including Ticao and Burias Islands
• rest of Eastern Samar
• rest of Samar
• Biliran
• Leyte
• Southern Leyte
• northern part of Cebu (Medellin, Daanbantayan, San Remigio, Bogo City, Tabogon) including Camotes and Bantayan Islands
• Dinagat Islands
• Siargao-Bucas Grande Islands

The northeast monsoon and the periphery of the tropical storm are also bringing strong to gale-force gusts to these areas:

Saturday, January 17

• Batanes, Babuyan Islands, northern and eastern mainland Cagayan, eastern Isabela, Ilocos Norte, Aurora, Quezon, Oriental Mindoro, Romblon, Marinduque, Cuyo Islands, Bicol, Visayas, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte

Sunday, January 18

• Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Quirino, Abra, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Quezon, Marinduque, Romblon, Bicol, Eastern Visayas

PAGASA updated its rainfall outlook at 11 pm on Friday, warning of intense to torrential rain in Northern Samar. Moderate to intense rain will hit other provinces in Eastern Visayas, Central Visayas, and Bicol, too.

Friday evening, January 16, to Saturday evening, January 17

• Intense to torrential rain (above 200 millimeters): Northern Samar
• Heavy to intense rain (100-200 mm): Catanduanes, Camarines Sur, Albay, Sorsogon, Masbate, Eastern Samar, Samar, Biliran
• Moderate to heavy rain (50-100 mm): Camarines Norte, Cebu, Bohol, Leyte, Southern Leyte

Saturday evening, January 17, to Sunday evening, January 18

• Heavy to intense rain (100-200 mm): Catanduanes, Northern Samar
• Moderate to heavy rain (50-100 mm): Quezon, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Albay, Sorsogon, Masbate

In addition, there is still a minimal to moderate risk of storm surges with peak heights of up to 2 meters in Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Albay, Sorsogon, Northern Samar, and Eastern Samar within 48 hours.

Moderate to very rough sea conditions will persist on Saturday as well.

Up to very rough seas (travel is risky for all vessels)

• Eastern seaboards of Catanduanes, Albay, and Sorsogon; northern and eastern seaboards of Northern Samar – waves up to 5 meters high
• Seaboard of Camarines Norte; northern seaboards of Camarines Sur and Catanduanes – waves up to 4.5 meters high

Up to rough seas (small vessels should not venture out to sea)

• Northern and eastern seaboards of Polillo Islands; seaboard of Isabela – waves up to 4 meters high
• Seaboards of Aurora and northern mainland Quezon; eastern seaboards of Eastern Samar and mainland Cagayan; seaboard of Babuyan Islands – waves up to 3.5 meters high
• Eastern seaboards of Camarines Sur and Dinagat Islands; remaining seaboards of Catanduanes – waves up to 3 meters high

Up to moderate seas (small vessels should take precautionary measures or avoid sailing, if possible)

• Seaboards of Batanes, Ilocos Norte, Surigao del Sur, and Davao Occidental; northern seaboard of mainland Cagayan; eastern seaboard of Davao Oriental; northern and eastern seaboards of Siargao-Bucas Grande Islands – waves up to 2.5 meters high
• Seaboards of Marinduque, Romblon, Cuyo Islands, Cagayancillo Islands, Aklan, Capiz, Antique, northern mainland Cebu, Bantayan Islands, Camotes Islands, Agusan del Norte, and Southern Leyte; northern and western seaboards of Surigao del Norte and Dinagat Islands; remaining seaboards of Quezon, Bicol, and Eastern Visayas – waves up to 2 meters high

Ada is the Philippines’ first tropical cyclone for 2026.

PAGASA expects two to eight tropical cyclones to form within or enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility in the first half of 2026. These are the estimates per month:

• January – 0 or 1
• February – 0 or 1
• March – 0 or 1
• April – 0 or 1
• May – 1 or 2
• June – 1 or 2

– Rappler.com