‘BLUE ALERT’ RAISED OVER ‘ODETTE’

Stay put until the storm has passed. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) advised the public over the weekend as it raised the alert status to “blue” on Friday to signal that its member government agencies would start conducting 24/7 operations for Severe Tropical Storm “Odette” (international name: Khanun).

“Everyone is strongly encouraged to stay at home,” the NDRRMC said in a statement.

As of 5 p.m. on Friday, Odette intensified into a severe tropical storm, packing maximum sustained winds of 90 kph near the center, gustiness of up to 113 kph, and moderate to heavy rainfall within its 400km diameter, including Zambales and Bataan provinces.

Tropical cyclone warning signal No. 1 has been raised over Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Batanes and the Babuyan Group of Islands.

The eye of the storm was last located at 205 km west of Sinait, Ilocos Sur, and was heading toward the West Philippine Sea at press time.