“MANILA – Category 4 Tropical Storm Ramil (International Codename Lupit) continues to move towards Northern and Central Luzon as it intensifies further while still over the Pacific Ocean, Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) forecaster Ben Oris said Monday.
“Dito maaaring tatama ang bagyo sa may Northern Luzon, sa Cagayan, sa Isabela at Ilocos, kasama ang La Union (It is heading for Northern Luzon, Cagayan, Isabela, Ilocos and La Union),” Oris said.
PAGASA chief Prisco Nilo, however, said the eastern part of Northern Luzon may experience rainfall beginning Tuesday.
In an interview on dzXL radio, Nilo said, “Hanggang bukas ng tanghali wala pang direktang epekto si Ramil sa ating bansa (typhoon “Ramil” is not expected to have any effect on the country until noon of Tuesday).
As of 4 a.m. Monday, the weather bureau reported Ramil was estimated at 1,160 km east of Aparri, Cagayan, moving slowly and is reported to be packing maximum sustained winds of 175 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 210 kph. By Wednesday morning, the cyclone is expected to be 720 km east northeast of Aparri, Cagayan.
Typhoon Ramil will be the third strong typhoon to hit the Philippines this season should it make a landfall.
Nilo said “Ramil” remains on course to make landfall on extreme Northern Luzon, likely in Northern Cagayan.
PAGASA’s Operations Chief Nathaniel Cruz, in an interview on ANC, warned Northern Luzon provinces which are still reeling from the floods and landslides of “Pepeng” (International Codename Parma) to prepare for “lots of rains and strong winds” from Ramil, for possible occurrences of landslides and flashfloods, especially since water level in dams are already high due to the previous two typhoons that hit the area.
Cruz further said that Ramil may become a supertyphoon before it could even make a 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.
source: www.gmanews.tv
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