16 provinces brace for Luis, intense rains

MANILA, Philippines - “Heavy to intense” rain is expected over 16 provinces in Northern, Central and some parts of Southern Luzon today and tomorrow as Tropical Storm Luis has intensified and is threatening to become a typhoon, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said yesterday.

The NDRRMC said it is closely monitoring the provinces as Luis appeared to be picking up strength on its way to Northern Luzon.

Heavy rains and strong winds caused the cancellation yesterday of 10 domestic flights of Cebu Pacific to and from Manila, Legazpi City and Cotabato City.

“Expect heavy to intense rainfall within the 400-kilometer diameter of the tropical storm,” NDRRMC administrator and Office of Civil Defense (OCD) executive director Alexander Pama said.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said that at 4 p.m. Luis was estimated at 364 km northeast of Virac, Catanduanes with maximum sustained winds of 110 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 140 kph. It was forecast to move west northwest at 20 kph.

It is expected to make landfall tonight or Monday morning in the Cagayan-Isabela area.

PAGASA said Isabela and Cagayan would experience stormy weather with rough to very rough seas.

The provinces of Apayao, Kalinga, Mt. Province, Ifugao, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Aurora and the islands of Calayan and Babuyan would experience rains with gusty winds.

The Bicol region and the provinces of Samar and Quezon would be cloudy with moderate to occasionally heavy rains and thunderstorms, which may trigger flashfloods and landslides.

The rest of Luzon and the Visayas would have cloudy skies with light to moderate rainshowers and thunderstorms. Mindanao would be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms.

Moderate to strong winds blowing from the southwest to west would prevail over Southern Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao and the coastal waters along these areas would be moderate to rough.

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

Public storm signal No. 2 is up over the provinces of Isabela and Cagayan where 61 kph to 100 kph winds are expected.

Public storm signal No. 1 was raised over Calayan and Babuyan Group of Islands, Apayao, Kalinga, Mt. Province, Ifugao, Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino, Aurora and Catanduanes where 30 kph to 60 kph winds are expected.

PAGASA is alerting residents in low-lying and mountainous areas under Signal No. 1 and No. 2 to possible flashfloods and landslides. Those living in coastal areas under signal No. 2 are alerted against storm surges.

The estimated amount of rainfall is from 8-20 mm per hour (heavy-intense) within the 500-km diameter of the tropical storm.

The NDRRMC said it has placed under Disaster Alert Level C the provinces of Abra, Apayao, Aurora, Benguet, Cagayan Ifugao, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Isabela, Kalinga, La Union, Mountain Province, Nueva Vizcaya, Pangasinan, Quezon and Quirino.

The provinces are expected to suffer heavy damage to agriculture due to possible widespread flooding.

Travel by land, sea and air would be highly dangerous as the expected 10-20 millimeter rainfall as well as winds of 120 to 150 kph would be enough to uproot trees and knock down power lines.

Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Camarines Sur and Camarines Norte, Catanduanes, Pampanga and Rizal were under Disaster Alert Level B. Luis is expected to dump moderate to heavy rain over these areas.

Under Disaster Alert Level A are Metro Manila and the provinces of Albay, Bataan, Cavite and Laguna.

“The combined effect of Tropical Storm Luis and the southwest monsoon will bring light to moderate rains and thunderstorms in the Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon), Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan) as well as Bicol Region and parts of the Visayas,” the NDRRMC said in an advisory.

Pama said fishing boats and other small seacraft are advised not to venture out into the eastern seaboard of Southern Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao.

With Pia Lee-Brago, Celso Amo, Rudy Santos, Evelyn Macairan