Pagasa downgrades ‘Florita’ to tropical storm as it leaves RP

The weather bureau downgraded "Florita" to a tropical storm yesterday as it moved further away from the country towards southeastern China.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Florita was seen traversing the Formosa Strait on its way to mainland China with maximum winds of 100 kilometers per hour and gusts up to 130 kph.

The tail end of the storm was spotted at 580 kilometers off Basco, Batanes at about 10 a.m. yesterday. It was forecast at 610 kilometers north-northeast of Hong Kong or in the general direction of southeastern China.

Pagasa also lifted the storm signals for the northern provinces in the country except for Batanes and Calayan group of islands where Signal No. 1 is still in effect.

Though Florita has exited the country, the entire Luzon will still experience moderate to heavy rains and gusty winds caused by the southwest monsoon.

The storm left at least 16 people dead and several still missing.

Worst affected was Baguio City, where a series of landslides and flash floods drowned a seven-year-old girl and buried a four-year-old boy and a barangay councilman.

The Ilocos provinces and La Union also sustained the highest casualty rate.

The Ilocos Regional Disaster Coordinating Council reported five casualties as of yesterday.

Four of the casualties drowned while the other was hit by lightning while walking on a rice field.

Provincial disaster officials reported that a total of 3,802 families were affected by floods in the 15 towns of La Union, 117 families affected in the seven towns of Ilocos Sur and 2,371 families affected in the eleven towns of Ilocos Norte.

The provincial board of La Union on Thursday declared the whole province under a state of calamity.

Three fishermen from Bolinao, Pangasinan were reported missing yesterday.

The three went on to sail on board a motorized banca M/V Kiwi Wonder ignoring the severe weather conditions in the Lingayen Gulf.

Pampanga provincial disaster officials also reported two casualties with 42 barangays inundated by floods.

The two were reportedly hit by lightning last Thursday at the height of the monsoon rains brought about by Florita. — With Jun Elias, Artemio Dumlao