Good weather expected in next 3 days

MANILA, Philippines - Good weather is expected to prevail over the country in the next three to five days after tropical storm “Helen” left the Philippine area of responsibility with eight people dead in its path, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) reported yesterday.

PAGASA administrator Nathaniel Servando said isolated thunderstorms are still expected in the afternoon or evening.

“No tropical cyclone is developing within and outside the Philippine area of responsibility,” Servando said.

As of 4 a.m. yesterday, the center of Helen was spotted at 290 kilometers west northwest of Laoag City with maximum sustained winds of 85 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 100 kph.

It was forecast to move west-northwest toward Hong Kong at 24 kph.

PAGASA said the southwest monsoon was affecting Luzon and Western Visayas.

“The western section of Luzon will experience occasional to frequent rains which may trigger flashfloods and landslides while the rest of Luzon and Western Visayas will have mostly cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms,” it said.

The rest of the country will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.

PAGASA said moderate to strong winds blowing from the southwest will prevail over Luzon and Western Visayas and the coastal waters will be moderate to rough.

Elsewhere, winds will be light to moderate coming from the south to southwest with slight to moderate seas.

Meanwhile, La Union Gov. Manuel Ortega approved yesterday as resolution passed by the provincial board declaring the province under a state of calamity due to the destruction caused by tropical storm Helen.

The provincial disaster risk reduction and management council reported that the floods affected 77,806 residents.

Initial report showed that around P2.2-million worth of agricultural crops have been destroyed.

The storm flooded several areas in La Union including the towns of Bauang, Caba, Bacnotan, Naguilian, Sto. Tomas, Luna, Tubao, San Gabriel, Aringay, Bangar, San Juan, Agoo, and San Fernando City. Classes in all levels in San Fernando City were still suspended yesterday.

The fatalities came from the Ilocos and Cordillera regions, reports from regional disaster management units showed.

The latest fatality was identified as Jocelyn Ortega, 7, who died of drowning in Bolinao, Pangasinan.

The Office of Civil Defense Region 1 said the victim drowned in a creek after she tried to retrieve her slippers. – With Mayen Jaymalin, Alexis Romero, Neil Jerome Morales, Jun Elias, Ric Sapnu, Dino Balabo