Betty keeps strength as it slows down

MANILA — Typhoon Betty (Mawar) slightly slowed down while moving over the waters east of Cagayan, state weather bureau PAGASA said Monday.

In a bulletin issued at 11 a.m., PAGASA said Betty was last located 470 kilometers east of Aparri in Cagayan. The typhoon maintained its peak winds of 155 km per hour near the center and gusts of up to 190 kph.

It was moving northwest at 15 kph. Weather forecasters noted that Betty will move generally northwestward slowly Monday, and may become slow-moving or almost stationary from Tuesday to Wednesday while over the waters east of Batanes.

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 2 remains hoisted over the following areas:

Batanes

Northeastern portion of Cagayan (Santa Ana, Gonzaga) including Babuyan Islands

Minor to moderate impacts caused by gale-force winds are likely in areas under Signal No. 2. Rice and corn crops may be adversely affected.

Meanwhile, the following areas are under Signal No. 1: Rest of mainland Cagayan

Isabela

Apayao

Ilocos Norte

Abra

Kalinga

Mountain Province

Ifugao

Northern and central portions of Aurora (Dilasag, Casiguran, Dinalungan, Dipaculao, Baler)

Quirino

Northeastern portion of Nueva Vizcaya (Kasibu, Quezon, Solano, Bagabag, Diadi, Villaverde, Bayombong, Ambaguio)

Northern portion of Catanduanes (Caramoran, Viga, Gigmoto, Panganiban, Bagamanoc, Pandan)

Northeastern portion of Camarines Sur (Caramoan, Garchitorena, Lagonoy, Tinambac, Siruma)

Pollilo Islands

Northern portion of Camarines Norte (Vinzons, Paracale, Jose Panganiban, Capalonga, Talisay, Daet, Mercedes, Basud)

Northern and central portions of Ilocos Sur (Gregorio del Pilar, Magsingal, San Esteban, Banayoyo, Cervantes, Burgos, Santiago, San Vicente, Santa Catalina, Lidlidda, Nagbukel, Sinait, Sigay, San Ildefonso, Galimuyod, Quirino, City of Vigan, San Emilio, Cabugao, Caoayan, San Juan, Santa, Bantay, Santo Domingo, Santa Maria, Narvacan, Salcedo, City of Candon)

Strong winds from Betty may result in minimal to minor impacts in areas under Signal No. 1. Rice crops, however, may suffer significant damage when they are in the flowering stage.

“Even though the center of Betty is still far, our countrymen, especially in Northern Luzon, should prepare,” said Chris Perez, chief of PAGASAAssistant Weather Services.

Preparedness and response protocols were already activated in all areas that will be affected by Betty, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

What to expect

PAGASA said the eastern portions of Babuyan Islands and the northeastern portion of mainland Cagayan may experience up to 100 millimeters of rainfall until Tuesday morning.

The typhoon may dump up to 200mm of rain in Batanes and eastern portion of Babuyan Island, and up to 100mm of rain in the rest of Babuyan Islands, northern portion of mainland Cagayan, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Abra and Benguet from Tuesday morning to Wednesday morning.

PAGASA warned that flooding and landslides are likely under these conditions, especially in areas that are highly susceptible to these hazards and in areas that experienced considerable amounts of rainfall recently.

The country’s second cyclone of the year is forecast to enhance the southwest monsoon in the next three days, according to PAGASA. Occasional to monsoon rains are expected in the western portions of Southern Luzon and most of Visayas.

Occasional gusts are also possible in parts of the eastern portion of Central Luzon, eastern and southern portions of Southern Luzon that are not under any Wind Signal, and most of Visayas in the next 24 hours.

Betty and the southwest monsoon will also trigger rough to very rough seas in the northern and eastern seaboards of Luzon, in the southern seaboard of Southern Luzon, in the western seaboard of Visayas, and in the eastern seaboards of Visayas and Mindanao.

‘Betty’ to weaken

“This typhoon is forecast to steadily weaken over the next five days due to cooler ocean waters (caused by upwelling of cooler waters in its wake) and dry air intrusion,” PAGASA said.

Betty may be downgraded into a severe tropical storm late Thursday or early Friday, and into a tropical storm on late Friday or early Saturday. ThecyclonemayleavethePhilippineAreaofResponsibilityFriday. Betty was the first super typhoon to enter PAR this year. Before threatening the country, the cyclone tore through Guam, a territory of the United States in the Pacific.