'Ofel' spares RP - Pagasa

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) yesterday reported that typhoon “Ofel” had spared the country.

Ofel, which was the 15th cyclone to enter the country this year, did not make landfall. It was a “super typhoon,” packing maximum winds of 215 kilometers per hour, which exceeded the 185-kph marker.

“We just did not feel her full impact because it did not make landfall. It moved fast at 19 kph,” Pagasa meteorologist Ludy Alviar said yesterday.

Typhoon Ofel (international name Jangmi), which has already made landfall in northern Taiwan as of 4 p.m. yesterday, is expected to be out of the PAR by this morning but would continue to bring rains to the western part of Luzon and Visayas.

This morning, it would be 530 kms north northwest of Basco, Batanes or 60 kms northwest of Taipei, Taiwan and in the afternoon it would be 720 kms north northwest of Basco, Batanes or 250 kms north northwest of Taipei, Taiwan.

Public Storm Warning Signal no. 1 was hoisted over Batanes, Calayan Islands and Babuyan Islands but Pagasa said Ofel would continue to enhance the southwest monsoon and bring rains over Western Luzon and Western Visayas as it travels towards Taiwan.

Weather forecast in Metro Manila is partly cloudy with isolated rainshowers and thunderstorms.

Alviar said the active low-pressure area (ALPA) that was earlier monitored near Iba, Zambales has left the country’s area of responsibility.

However, it developed into a tropical depression as it moved out of the PAR and was seen going in the direction of Vietnam.

Alviar said Pagasa is monitoring another ALPA that might enter the PAR, through the Bicol Region, in the next two to three days.