'Mario' threatens Northern Luzon; 5 areas under storm signal

MANILA, Philippines - The state weather bureau on Thursday hoisted storm warning signal 1 over five areas after Tropical Cyclone "Mario" moved toward Northern Luzon.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in its latest bulletin that the center of Mario (international name Fung Wong) was located at 477 kilometers east of Virac, Catanduanes.

The storm has maintained its strength with maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour near the center and gusts of up to 80 kph. It is expected to move west northwest at 24 kph.

Public storm warning signal 1 was raised over Catanduanes, Isabela, Aurora and Cagayan, including the Calayan Group of Island.

PAGASA is alerting residents in low lying and mountainous areas under the storm signal against possible flashfloods and landslides.

Moderate to intense rainfall amount (7 to 20 millimeters per hour) has been estimated within the 300-kilometer diameter of the tropical storm.

In a televised press briefing before Thursday noon, PAGASA said Mario is expected to intensify into a severe tropical storm before making landfall in Cagayan by Friday night.

Based on PAGASA's forecast track, Mario will hit Northern Luzon. The storm is expected to be at 172 kilometers east of Casiguran, Aurora by Friday morning and 97 kilometers north northwest of Aparri, Cagayan by Saturday morning.

By Sunday morning, Mario will be at 470 kilometers north northeast of Aparri, Cagayan or 247 kilometers north northeast of Basco, Batanes.

Mario is expected to enhance the southwest monsoon or "habagat" which will bring moderate to heavy rains over Southern Luzon and Visayas starting tonight and over Luzon by Saturday.

The two weather systems will also bring moderate to heavy rains and thunderstorms in the regions of Bicol and Eastern Visayas, where flashfloods and landslides can occur.

Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Mimaropa will also experience cloudy with light to moderate rainshowers and thunderstorms tonight and moderate to heavy rain by Friday and Saturday.

The threat of the new cyclone looms while Northern Luzon is still reeling from the effects of Typhoon Luis, which crossed the landmass earlier this week.

According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, Luis left four fatalities in Pangasinan, Nueva Vizcaya and Cagayan.

It affected 366,075 people in Western Visayas and six regions in Luzon including Metro Manila.