Tropical Storm Ramil (international codename: Lupit) slowed down then weakened while it slightly picked up speed as it headed for Cagayan province where it is expected to make a landfall late Friday or early Saturday, PAGASA said Thursday.
PAGASA chief Dr. Prisco Nilo said Ramil could further weaken once it hits the Sierra Madre mountain range.
“There is a 10-percent probability of Ramil veering away and heading toward Taiwan. But based on all data available, it would make landfall (today),” he added.
In its 5 a.m. bulletin, the weather bureau said Ramil was estimated at 130 km east of Aparri, Cagayan, packing maximum sustained winds of 120 kph near its center with gustiness of up to 150 kph.
Storm Signal 3 was up over the provinces of Batanes, Cagayan, Apayao and the islands of Calayan and Babuyan; Storm Signal 2 was hoisted in Kalinga, Isabela, Ilocos Sur, Abra, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Benguet, La Union, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino and Aurora; and Storm Signal 1 was raised over Pangasinan, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Zambales, Pampanga, Bulacan, northern Quezon and Polillo islands.
Due to the intertropical convergence zone, NIlo said scattered rain showers and thunderstorms could be expected over Southern Luzon and the Visayas for the next three days. He advised seacrafts not to venture into the sea as the waves in these areas will be moderate to rough.
Meanwhile, the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) said yesterday the total damage from tropical storm Ondoy (international name: Ketsana) and typhoon Pepeng (international name: Parma) has reached P30.34 billion from P27.75 billion on Wednesday, while the death toll has increased from 864 to 902.
On Sept. 26, Typhoon Ondoy dumped a record rainfall over Metro Manila in four decades, submerging a a huge part of the metropolis and nearby provinces.
Typhoon Pepeng, which entered the country a week later, triggered massive floods and landslides that claimed hundreds of lives particularly in the Cordilleras during its 10-day stay in Northern Luzon.
source: inquirer.net
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