Typhoon “Ferdie” (international name “Meranti”) has picked up strength packing maximum sustained winds of 215 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of up to 250 kph, prompting weather forecasters to raise tropical cyclone signal No. 4 over the Batanes group of islands where 171 kph to 220 kph winds are expected.

“That strength is already very near the minimum super typhoon level of 220 kph and ‘Ferdie’ can still intensify further,” weather forecaster Buddy Javier said. “Communities there must prepare for such possibility,” he added.

The typhoon will likely move west-northwest at a faster speed of 23 kph, Javier continued. PAGASA data also shows the diameter of ‘Ferdie’ has expanded to 600 km from 500 km. “That typhoon has a bigger circulation already,” Javier said.

Signal No. 3 was hoisted over the Babuyan group of islands where 121 kph to 170 kph winds, rough waters and up to 2.0 meter-high storm surges are expected while Signal No. 2 was raised over Ilocos Norte, Apayao and northern Cagayan where 61 kph to 120 kph winds with waves from 4.1 meter- to 14 meter-high waves are expected as well as storm surges.

The rest of Cagayan, northern Isabela, Kalinga, Abra and northern Ilocos Sur are under Signal No. 1.

The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) expects “Ferdie” to make a landfall in Batanes today and expected to exit from the Philippine Areaof Responsibility (PAR) later today.

“Coastal areas there can experience storm surges two to three meters high,” he noted. Heavy rainfall is also likely, he added.

Preparations

Weather forecaster Aldczar Aurelio said communities in Northern Luzon will experience impacts of ‘Ferdie’ beginning Tuesday night and heavy rains will persist over the area until early Thursday.

Undersecretary Ricardo B. Jalad, NDRRMC Executive Director and Office of Civil Defense Administrator, assured the public that his offices and all member agencies are ready to respond to any untoward incident that may result due to the effects of the typhoon.

In Ilocos Norte, classes from pre-school to high school were suspended both in public and private starting Tuesday afternoon.

Msgr. Noel Ian Rabago, social action director of the Diocese of Laoag, said churches are ready to serve as evacuation centers in case the need arises.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development has assured the public that the agency and its field offices have done preparatory measures for the possible impact of typhoon Ferdie in the country, especially in Northern Luzon.

Another storm

The weather agency is monitoring another tropical storm (international name “Malakas”) 1,605 km east of Luzon. The storm, which is weaker than Ferdie is still outside PAR but will be named “Gener” once it enters PAR.

Malakas has maximum sustained winds of 75 kph and gustiness of up to 90 kph, moving relatively fast at 30 kph west-northwest, and will likely enter PAR by tomorrow morning.

Today, cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and isolated thunderstorms is expected over Northern Mindanao, Visayas and the rest of Luzon, while partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms will prevail over the rest of Mindanao.

By Thursday, Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, Cagayan Valley, Zambales and Bataan will have cloudy skies with light to moderate rains. (With reports from PNA, Leslie G. Aquino, Francis T. Wakefield and Liezle Basa-Inigo)

Source:
courtesy of MANILA BULLETIN

by Ellalyn De Vera

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