MANILA - Typhoon Ramil (international codename Lupit) further slowed down Saturday as it continued to move towards the general direction of Northern and Central Luzon but continued to strengthen while still over the Pacific Ocean, the state weather agency reported.
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), in its 11 a.m. update Saturday, said the center of "Ramil" was located 980 kilometers east southeast of Casiguran, Aurora or at 780 kms east northeast of Virac, Catanduanes, as of 10 a.m.
PAGASA said that the typhoon intensified further as it continues to move towards Northern and Central Luzon. It is now reported to be packing maximum sustained winds of 130 kilometers per hour near center and gustiness of up to 160 kph.
The typhoon has also continued to slow down from 30 kph to 20 kph at 2 a.m. and is now reported moving west northwest at 13 kph.
PAGASA said it forecasts the typhoon to be 700 kms east of Casiguran, Aurora by Sunday morning. It said it expects the typhoon to be 470 kms east northeast of Casiguran, Aurora or at 510 kms east of Tuguegarao City Monday morning and 240 kms east of Tuguegarao City by Tuesday morning:
The typhoon is expected to bring rains again to areas in Northern and Central Luzon which are still reeling from the floods and landslides of "Pepeng" (international codename Parma) which entered the Northern Luzon as a typhoon but hovered for several days before leaving as a tropical depression.
"Bad thing"
Nathaniel Cruz, PAGASA's operations chief, earlier said that it’s a "bad thing" that Ramil is slowing down because it would give the typhoon more time to gather strength while crossing Philippine waters.
"While it is slowing down, it will further intensify in the next several hours and several days before hitting land, if it hits land," Cruz said.
He said the typhoon's strength will be felt in northern provinces by late Monday or Tuesday. He said provinces that have been hit by Pepeng in the north should prepare for "lots of rains and strong winds" from Ramil.
He added that based on the typhoon's speed and current course, its winds and rains will be hardly felt in Bicol provinces and provinces along the eastern seaboard of Luzon, including Quezon, Aurora and Cagayan.
Cruz also said that Cordillera Administrative Region should expect more landslides during the typhoon's onslaught. He added that since water level in dams were already high, provinces flooded by the two previous storms should also prepare for possible flashfloods.
"Pepeng" has killed more than 400 people in the northern provinces of Luzon, with majority of deaths caused by landslides in the Cordilleras.
The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) said Pepeng and Ondoy's combined death toll has reached 773. Ondoy's death toll was 354, with majority of deaths caused by flashfloods in Rizal, Marikina and Quezon City.
May become supertyphoon
Cruz had said that Ramil can reach supertyphoon intensity before making landfall.
"It can reach almost the supertyphoon intensity before hitting land, if and when there will be no change in its course, direction and speed," Cruz said in an interview over ANC television.
Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) has pre-positioned equipment needed for rescue operations as well as relief goods to areas that the storm was expected to hit.
Remonde said he expects dam operators to have learned the lessons left by Ondoy and Pepeng by releasing water even before the new storm hits. Local officials in Pangasinan earlier accused dam operators in Northern Luzon of aggravating floods during the height of Pepeng's onslaught.
As of 10 a.m. Saturday, PAGASA reported that 7 out of 10 major dams in Luzon were still releasing water in anticipation of the new storm. These are the Angat and Ipo Dams in Bulacan, Ambuklao and Binga Dams in Benguet, San Roque Dam in Pangasinan, Pantabangan Dam in Nueva Ecija and Magat Dam in Isabela.
The La Mesa Dam in Quezon City and Caliraya Dam in Laguna remain closed.
PAGASA's dam monitoring report said 2 gates of Angat were releasing 518 cubic meters of water per second; Ipo dam releasing water at 412 cms; Ambuklao 127 cms with 3 gates open; Binga 304 cms with 2 gates open, Pantabangan 220 cms with 1 gate open and Magat 980 cms with 2 gates open.
San Roque dam was reportedly releasing water at the rate of 620 cms with 2 gates open. A dam official had earlier warned last Thursday that 100 million cubic meters of water need to be released from the dam's reservoir before the latest typhoon arrives.
Preparing for Ramil
Pangasinan Gov. Amado Espino, meanwhile, said they are now closely monitoring the release of water from the San Roque dam.
Espino said several areas in the municipalities of Bautista, Alcala, Bayambang as well as the towns of Camiling and Moncada in Tarlac province were still submerged in house-deep floods.
The governor said residents in the flooded areas of Pangasinan were currently housed in temporary evacuation centers, and they have prepared more secure shelters in case "Ramil" hits the province.
Benguet Gov. Nestor Fongwan, meanwhile, said teams have been alerted for emergency evacuations in case the typhoon affects the province. The province was the hardest-hit by landslides caused by the heavy rains of "Pepeng."
National Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, concurrent head of the NDCC, on Saturday flew to Sorsogon province in Bicol to meet officials of local disaster coordinating units.
Teodoro said Malacañang has cancelled a scheduled "relief caravan" for Monday. He said relief trucks and other equipment to be used in the caravan will be diverted to the prepositioning of relief goods to areas that may be hit by the typhoon.
source: abs-cbnnews.com
Saturday, October 17, 2009
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