Vinta makes landfall in Cagayan; storm warning signals raised

MANILA, Philippines - Public storm warning signal No. 3 was hoisted over three provinces yesterday morning after Typhoon Vinta  made landfall in Sta. Ana, Cagayan province.

Weather forecaster Aldczar Aurelio of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Vinta (international name Krosa) became a typhoon at around 8 a.m. yesterday and  touched land at the northern Cagayan area at 4:45 p.m.

In a 5 p.m. bulletin, PAGASA said public storm warning signal No. 3 has been raised over Cagayan province, including Calayan and Babuyan Group of Islands, Apayao, and Ilocos Norte.

Public storm warning signal No. 2 was hoisted over Batanes Group of Islands, Abra, Kalinga, Ilocos Sur, Mt. Province and Isabela.

La Union, Benguet, Ifugao, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Aurora and Pangasinan were placed under public storm warning signal No. 1.

Within the 500-kilometer diameter of the typhoon, the estimated rainfall is from 5.0-15.0 millimeters per hour,   falling under the category of moderate to heavy rainfall.

Residents of places under public storm warning signal Nos. 2 and 3 are asked to be on guard against possible flashfloods and landslides and for possible storm surges in   coastal areas.

PAGASA also advised that   sea travel in the northern and eastern seaboards of Luzon would be risky.

At 4 p.m. yesterday, PAGASA said Vinta was already 110 kilometers east southeast of Aparri, Cagayan.

It reportedly packs maximum sustained winds of 130 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of up to 160 kph, moving in the direction west northwest.

It was assessed that Vinta has slowed down after ramming into the Sierra Madre mountain range.

It would be 12 hours before it exits through Laoag City this afternoon.

Vinta will reportedly proceed to China.

Relief goods

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Corazon Soliman said they are coordinating with local governments to ensure that relief goods are ready and can easily be dispatched to typhoon-affected areas.

“We already prepositioned 6,680 family food packs worth P1.67 million to the provinces of Abra (850 food packs), Mt. Province (950), Kalinga (1,030), Ifugao (400), Apayao (1,450) and DSWD field office in Baguio City (2,000) for augmentation to areas that may be affected by the typhoon,” she said.

The DSWD has also put on standby 3,195 family food packs worth P798,750 for the provinces of Pangasinan (1,000), Ilocos Norte (195) and La Union (2,000).  – Evelyn Macairan, Rainier Allan Ronda, Jaime Laude