Philippines braces for another typhoon

WARNINGS ISSUED ACROSS 11 AREAS AS MELOR THREATENS TO DUMP HEAVY RAIN ON PARTS OF THE COUNTRY

Typhoon warnings have been raised over 11 areas in Bicol and Samar, in the central Philippines, as typhoon Melor threatens to dump heavy rains. State weather forecasting agency Pagasa said Melor (locally named ‘Nona’) will dump as much as 300mm of rain over parts of the Bicol Region and the island of Samar as it cuts across Central Eastern Philippines.

“At 4pm on Sunday, the centre of Typhoon Nona was located based on all available data at 440km east of Catarman, Northern Samar,” Pagasa said in its hourly bulletin.

The storm, the 14th to hit the country this year, will cut a westward path on its way to Palawan bringing maximum sustained winds of 110km/h to 140km/h.

300km diameter

The AccuWeather online service said Manila could be affected by the storm. “While wind from the storm should not be nearly as strong as where it makes landfall in southern Luzon, heavy rainfall will be a possibility,” Meteorologist Evan Duffey said.

“How much rain falls will be partially determined by how fast the storm moves across the Philippines,” he said.

As of 5pm yesterday, the storm was moving at 19km/h. The storm has a diameter of 300km.

Pagasa in its forecast said public storm warning Signal No. 1 (30-60 km/h winds expected in 36 hours) was being observed over the provinces of Catanduanes, Camarines Sur, Albay, Sorsogon and Masbate, including Burias and Ticao Islands in Luzon; Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Samar, Biliran, Leyte, and Southern Leyte in Visayas; and Dinagat province in Mindanao.”

In anticipation of the typhoon, the Department of Social Welfare and Development has started to prepare relief packs in areas along the typhoon’s path.

“Disaster teams in the affected regions are on alert status and are in close coordination with the concerned local government units for resource augmentation when needed,” Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman said.

In anticipation of the typhoon, the Department of Social Welfare and Development has started to prepare relief packs in areas along the typhoon’s path. Authorities have suspended classes in areas in Samar and Bicol in anticipation of the typhoon.

Classes suspended

There had noticeably been fewer storms and typhoons to visit the country this year. On the average, the Philippines is visited by some 20 cyclones.

Authorities have suspended classes in areas in Samar and Bicol in anticipation of the typhoon.