Super Typhoon Jose spares Phl

MANILA, Philippines - Typhoon Jose (international name Halong) intensified into a super typhoon yesterday and it would continue to enhance the southwest monsoon which would dump rains over the western section of the country, including Metro Manila, in the next three days.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the southwest monsoon would bring occasional rains over Metro Manila, central Luzon, Ilocos region, Calabarzon and Mimaropa.

Jose, the strongest cyclone to enter the Philippine area of responsibility so far this year, is unlikely to make landfall in the country but it could bring heavy to intense rain (10 to 25 millimeters per hour) in areas within its 650-kilomter radius.

PAGASA warned residents of Ilocos and Central Luzon against possible flashfloods and landslides due to monsoon rains.

PAGASA also said Visayas and Caraga would have cloudy skies with light to moderate rain showers and thunderstorms. The rest of Mindanao would be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.

The US’ Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) has upgraded Jose into a super typhoon, which is equivalent to a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.

The typhoon is more likely to move toward southern Japan, according to the JTWC.

As of 5 p.m. yesterday, PAGASA spotted the eye of the typhoon some 1,010 kilometers east of Casiguran, Aurora, packing winds of 185 kilometers per hour near center and gusts of up to 220 kph.

It was forecast to move west northwest at 11 kph.

The typhoon is predicted to be at 870 km east of Casiguran this morning; 800 km east northeast of Aparri, Cagayan tomorrow morning; and 800 km east of Basco, Batanes by Wednesday morning.

PAGASA said the coastal waters throughout the archipelago would be moderate to rough.

Last Saturday afternoon, a motor tugboat sank off the coast of Anilao in Batangas, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said yesterday.

M/T Gothong 3 was sailing from an oil depot in Calaca, Batangas to Maricaban, Batangas when battered by strong waves at high seas at around 4 p.m.

The tugboat, which was accompanied by M/T Gothong 5, was then swamped and sank near Barangay Bagalangit with three crew members aboard.

The PCG Batangas Station sent its men on board an aluminum boat to the site but they had difficulty getting close to the area because of the bad weather

Incidentally, technical divers from the PCG were in the area. They were able to respond promptly and rescued the crewmen from the sunken vessel.

The PCG said all three crew of the ill-fated tugboat were safe.

Authorities were still checking as of yesterday afternoon if the incident caused oil spill in the area. – With Edu Punay, Arnell Ozaeta, Ed Amoroso