'Lawin' nears; storm signal No. 3 up in Batanes

MANILA, Philippines - The Batanes group of islands in extreme Northern Luzon was placed under public storm warning signal No. 3 yesterday as the center of typhoon “Lawin” (international name Jelawat) moved closer to land.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) also raised storm warning signal no. 2 over Cagayan, Calayan and the Babuyan group of islands as of 5 p.m. yesterday.

Signal No. 1, meanwhile, was up in Ilocos Norte, Kalinga, Apayao, Abra and Isabela.

As of 4 p.m. yesterday, the eye of Lawin was spotted at 210 km east of Basco, Batanes with maximum sustained winds of 185 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 220 kph.

It was forecast to move northwest at 13 kph.

PAGASA weather forecaster Chris Perez said Lawin slightly weakened yesterday as it continued to hover over the Philippine Sea.

Perez said Lawin is likely to leave the Philippine area of responsibility tomorrow.

Lawin is predicted to be 270 km north of Basco this afternoon.

PAGASA, however, continued to warn residents living in coastal areas under public storm warning signals No. 3 and 2 against big waves or storm surges generated by the typhoon.

PAGASA also said Lawin is still expected to bring heavy to intense rain within its 800-km radius.

“Fishing boats and other small seacraft are advised not to venture out into the eastern seaboard of Central Luzon, the seaboards of Southern Luzon and the Visayas due to big waves generated by Lawin and the southwest monsoon,” the agency said.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Lawin has affected close to 8,000 people and has left at least three dead.

NDRRMC said a total of 3,096 families or 7,743 persons in 43 barangays in Mimaropa and Zamboanga Peninsula have been affected by the typhoon.

The affected residents were from Palawan, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga Sibugay.

The latest fatality was identified as Roberto Fontanilla, who died of a heart attack as floods hit his hometown in Zamboanga del Norte. – With Alexis Romero