Three PAGASA warning cards, one to a sheet
The wind signals, the rainfall colours and the storm surge heights, with the explanation taken out so each one fits on a wall. Print all three, or the one you need.
By Hamza Rivera, updated
Short answer: The page puts three PAGASA scales on printable cards, one to a sheet. A wind signal and a rainfall warning are separate scales issued for different reasons, so either can be up without the other, and the third card gives storm surge heights. Each figure is PAGASA's, and each card names the PAGASA page it came from.
Written for the Philippines. Para sa barangay hall, silid-aralan o bulletin board ng opisina.
The three scales PAGASA runs, side by side
Two are colours and one is numbers. A rainfall warning and a wind signal are different scales issued for different reasons, and either can be up without the other. The full figures are on the three cards below.
Source: PAGASA, Weather Icons, the rainfall warning legend. Read 23 September 2026. The hourly millimetre figures are from PAGASA's official statement of 16 January 2019, which classes heavy rain as 7.5 to 15 mm an hour, intense as 15 to 30 mm and torrential as more than 30 mm. The legend names the warning levels Advisory, Alert and Emergency and does not use colour names, so the colours were read from its icons, named alert, warning and critical, which are yellow, orange and red in that order.
Source: PAGASA, Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (system in use since 23 March 2022). Read 20 September 2026.
Source: PAGASA, Storm Surge. Read 23 September 2026. The definition, the Filipino name, the cause, the three factors and the wording of the advice are from that page. The warning level heights and their impacts are set out there as a coloured table image with no text alternative, so the rows were read from the image, the same way the PHIVOLCS drill primer and the rainfall warning icons were.
Each figure on these cards is PAGASA's, and each card names the page it came from and links to the guide that explains it.
Tropical cyclone wind signals
PAGASA. The higher the number, the stronger the wind and the less warning you have.
| Signal | Wind | Warning lead time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 39 to 61 km/h | 36 hours |
| 2 | 62 to 88 km/h | 24 hours |
| 3 | 89 to 117 km/h | 18 hours |
| 4 | 118 to 184 km/h | 12 hours |
| 5 | 185 km/h or higher | 12 hours |
A signal describes the general wind over a province, so an exposed ridge or shore can be a good deal stronger than the number. Levels can also skip: a province on Signal 1 can go straight to Signal 3.
staysafedaily.com/emergency-preparedness/typhoon/ . Figures from PAGASA, Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal.
Source: PAGASA, Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (system in use since 23 March 2022). Read 20 September 2026.
Rainfall warnings
PAGASA. Rain measured in one hour that is also expected to keep falling for the next two.
| Warning | Rain in one hour | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow | 7.5 to 15 mm in one hour | Flooding is possible in low-lying areas and near river channels | Community awareness |
| Orange | 15 to 30 mm in one hour | Flooding is threatening in low-lying areas and near river channels | Community preparedness |
| Red | More than 30 mm in one hour | Severe flooding is expected | Take necessary precautionary measures |
PAGASA's legend names these levels Advisory, Alert and Emergency. The colours are the colours of its own warning icons.
staysafedaily.com/emergency-preparedness/rainfall-warnings/ . Figures from PAGASA, Weather Icons.
Source: PAGASA, Weather Icons, the rainfall warning legend. Read 23 September 2026. The hourly millimetre figures are from PAGASA's official statement of 16 January 2019, which classes heavy rain as 7.5 to 15 mm an hour, intense as 15 to 30 mm and torrential as more than 30 mm. The legend names the warning levels Advisory, Alert and Emergency and does not use colour names, so the colours were read from its icons, named alert, warning and critical, which are yellow, orange and red in that order.
Storm surge heights
PAGASA. The warning is issued on how high the water is expected to get.
| Warning | Estimated height | What PAGASA expects it to do |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Under 2 metres | Minimal to moderate damage to communities, coastal and marine infrastructure, and disruptions to all marine-related activities. |
| Orange | 2 to 3 metres | Moderate to significant damage to communities, coastal and marine infrastructure, and disruptions to all marine-related activities. Significant erosion to beaches. Possible river flooding due to storm surge. |
| Red | Over 3 metres | Significant damage to communities, coastal and marine infrastructure, and disruptions to all marine-related activities. Significant erosion to beaches. Possible river flooding due to storm surge. |
Go to high ground, or to the evacuation building your LGU names. PAGASA says to know where the reinforced concrete multi-storey buildings designated for evacuation are.
staysafedaily.com/emergency-preparedness/storm-surge/ . Figures from PAGASA, Storm Surge.
Source: PAGASA, Storm Surge. Read 23 September 2026. The definition, the Filipino name, the cause, the three factors and the wording of the advice are from that page. The warning level heights and their impacts are set out there as a coloured table image with no text alternative, so the rows were read from the image, the same way the PHIVOLCS drill primer and the rainfall warning icons were.
Using these
They are free to print, post and hand out, and there is nothing to fill in. If you are putting one on a public wall, the guide each card links to carries the full table with PAGASA's own wording and the date this site last read it, which is the version to check against before a card goes up for a season.