'Emong' to bring heavy rains, strong winds to Metro Manila, Luzon

MANILA, Philippines – Heavy rains and strong winds will continue to batter Metro Manila, Northern Luzon and Central Luzon today.

Typhoon “Emong” (international name Chan-Hom) will continue to hover over these areas for the next 24 hours, the weather bureau said yesterday.

Emong was forecast to make landfall over Pangasinan and La Union between 7 and 9 p.m. yesterday, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).

Storm warning signal No. 3 had already been hoisted over 13 provinces as of 5 p.m. yesterday.

These are Pangasinan, Zambales, Tarlac, Nueva Vizcaya, La Union, Ilocos Sur, Benguet, Ifugao, Mountain Province, Kalinga, Apayao, Abra and Ilocos Norte.

Nathaniel Cruz, deputy administrator for operations and services, said Emong would then cross the provinces of Benguet, Nueva Vizcaya, Isabela and Cagayan and exit the Philippine area of responsibility tonight.

“There is a slim chance that it will further intensify into a super typhoon,” he said.

Cruz warned residents of Northern and Central Luzon to be ready for floods and landslides.

“Moderate to big waves” would also affect Cavite, Batangas and Mindoro, he added.

Residents in the western coast of Northern and Central Luzon must also prepare for big waves, Cruz said.

Storm signal No. 2 was up in Bataan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, Aurora, Quirino, Isabela, Cagayan including the Babuyan Group of Islands, and Batanes group of islands.

Placed under signal No. 1 were Metro Manila, Batangas, Laguna, Rizal, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro including Lubang island, Calamian group of islands, Cavite and northern Quezon.

As of 4 p.m. yesterday, the eye of Emong was located at 110 kilometers northwest of Iba, Zambales or at 130 kms west of Dagupan City.

It packed maximum sustained winds of 150 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 185 kph.

Emong was forecast to move east-northeast at 19 kph.

It is expected at 70 kms northeast of Tuguegarao City this afternoon and at 300 kms northeast of Aparri, Cagayan or at 160 kms east of Basco, Batanes tomorrow afternoon.

By Sunday afternoon, it would be at 330 kms north-northeast of Basco, Batanes.

Four domestic flights were canceled yesterday due to bad weather, according to Ma. Consuelo Bungag, Manila International Airport Authority Media Affairs Division officer-in-charge.

Passengers stranded

In Batangas City, around 300 passengers bound for Mindoro and Romblon were stranded Thursday morning when the Coast Guard cancelled all trips of sea vessels under 1,000 gross tonnage.

Commander Troy Cornelio, Batangas Coast Guard chief, said he ordered the cancellation of trips after Pagasa placed Batangas, Mindoro Oriental and Occidental, Cavite, Laguna and other parts of Mimaropa under storm signal No 1.

Around 200 passengers were stranded at terminal 2, while around 100 passengers were stalled at terminal 1, all bound for Calapan, Abra de Ilog, Romblon, and Puerto Galera since 11:30 a.m. Thursday, according to Mace Banuelos, Batangas Port terminal supervisor.

Emong has affected the operation of fast craft and roll-on, roll-off (RORO) vessels of Starlite Shipping Lines, Montenegro Shipping Lines and Besta Shipping Lines, he added.

Evacuation

In Nueva Vizcaya, disaster officials advised residents in coastal and other low-lying areas and those along mountain slopes to be ready for evacuation.

Chief Superintendent Roberto Damian, Cagayan Valley police director who also heads the Regional Disaster Coordinating Council (RDCC), said that contingency measures are in place for any eventuality arising from Emong.

The Civil Defense Office called on residents in identified geo-hazard areas to seek shelter at RDCC-designated evacuation centers or safer ground to escape flashfloods or landslides. – With Charlie Lagasca, Ric Sapnu, Dino Balabo, Arnell Ozaeta, Eva Visperas, Evelyn Macairan, Jaime Laude