'Ondoy' expected to exit RP today

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said yesterday that tropical storm ‘Ondoy’ is expected to exit the country today and head toward the South China Sea.

Based on its 10 p.m. weather bulletin, Pagasa said signal no. 1 has been raised over the provinces of Bulacan, Rizal, the northern part of Quezon, Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan, Tarlac, Bataan, Lubang Island, Pampanga and Metro Manila.

Meanwhile, the province of Zambales has been placed under public storm warning signal number two as tropical storm “Ondoy” battered Luzon yesterday.

The provinces of La Union, Benguet, Nueva Viscaya, Quirino, Aurora, Polilio Island, Laguna, Cavite, Batangas, the rest of Quezon, Lubang Island, Bataan and Metro Manila were earlier inundated by a high volume of rainfall brought by the weather disturbance.

Pagasa weather broadcaster Leny Ruiz explained that while there was a high volume of rainfall in Metro Manila, it was only placed under the category signal no. 1 because storm signals are determined by the strength of the wind and not the amount of rainfall.

Ondoy has sustained winds of 85 kilometers per hour and gustiness of 100 kilometers per hour. It is expected to exit Iba, Zambales and head toward the South China Sea this morning.

 “However, Luzon and Metro Manila would continue to experience rains, but the intensity would gradually lessen,” said Ruiz.

Significant weather improvement would be felt by tomorrow.

As of 10 p.m. last night, the center of the storm was spotted 90 kilometers west northwest of Subic, or 70 kms southwest of Iba, Zambales.

Ruiz also said that the volume of rainfall was not triggered by climate change but because it was still the rainy season.

Pagasa said the monthly average rainfall for September of 391 millimeters was achieved in just six hours because of typhoon Ondoy.

Pagasa weather forecaster Joel Jesusa said that they were surprised by the “super heavy rainfall” brought by Ondoy.

“From 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. yesterday it was already 341 millimeters and still counting because it kept on raining even after 2 p.m.,” said Jesusa.

Ondoy (international code name Ketsana) was just an active low pressure area when it entered the country’s area of responsibility east of Luzon but it became a storm last Thursday. It made landfall between Aurora and Quezon province at 11 a.m. yesterday.

 Usually, when a storm makes landfall it loses strength, but that was not the case with Ondoy, Jesusa said. “It was moving above the mountains” so there was nothing to slow it down.