More rains; weather to improve tomorrow
The southwest monsoon enhanced by Typhoon Gorio (international name Nesat) will continue to bring intermittent rains over Metro Manila and other areas in the western section of Luzon and the Visayas today, but the weather in the entire country will start to improve beginning tomorrow.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) raised tropical cyclone warning signal No. 2 over Batanes yesterday afternoon as Gorio intensified into
a typhoon from a severe tropical storm as it moved toward Taiwan.
Signal No. 1, meanwhile, was hoisted over the Babuyan Group of Islands.
PAGASA weather forecaster Aldczar Aurelio said Batanes and Babuyan islands will experience inclement weather until today.
As of 4 p.m. yesterday, the center of Gorio was spotted at 300 kilometers east of Basco, Batanes with maximum sustained winds of 120 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 145 kph.
If it maintains its northwest track at 15 kph, Gorio is expected to be out of the Philippine area of responsibility by tomorrow afternoon.
“We still expect intermittent rains over Luzon, including Metro Manila, on Saturday due to the enhanced southwest monsoon,” Aurelio said.
He warned residents of Metro Manila, Ilocos region, Mimaropa, Calabarzon against possible flashfloods and landslides due to monsoon rains.
Meanwhile, a new tropical depression spotted over the West Philippine Sea was also enhancing the southwest monsoon. The tropical depression was located at 600 km west of Calayan, Cagayan, outside the Philippine area of responsibility, as of 4 p.m. yesterday.
Aurelio said the tropical depression was not expected to enter the Philippines.
He said they do not forecast an interaction or a “Fujiwara effect” between the two cyclones.
He said Gorio is likely to remain stronger than the tropical depression and eventually absorb it.
Gorio is expected to gain core strength as it moves closer to Taiwan but is likely to weaken as it approaches mainland China.
Generally fair weather is expected in most parts of the country beginning tomorrow, Aurelio said.
“Next week we can still experience monsoon rains but these would not be as intense as this week. We also expect the prevalence of the ridge of high pressure area,” he said.
Meanwhile, PAGASA hydrologists Richard Orendain said all major dams in the country remained below critical level despite the heavy rains dumped by Gorio and the southwest monsoon in the past days.
He said Magat Dam in Isabela was just 6.85 meters below its spilling level of 190 meters.
Displacements, suspension of classes
The Department of Social Welfare and Development said as of Thursday night, 183 families or 664 persons were displaced in eight barangays in Malabon and Valenzuela but they opted to stay with their relatives and friends.
The DSWD said the local government units provided hot meals to the affected families and had not requested any assistance from the department.
Classes in Metro Manila and other provinces were suspended again yesterday due to intermittent rains that caused floods in several areas.
Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez said the construction of a 300-meter diversion creek in two barangays has allowed the free flow of rainwater to Manila Bay and lessened flooding in the area.
Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada said the local disaster risk reduction and management office is on full alert due to Gorio.
Religious congress during stormy weather
Despite the intermittent heavy rains and floods brought by Typhoon Gorio, some 5,000 people attended yesterday’s opening of the 4th Philippine Conference of New Evangelization (PCNE) held at the University of Santo Tomas.
Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle was the main celebrant in the Eucharistic celebration whose theme this year is “Of One Heart and Soul.” – With Artemio Dumlao, Ric Sapnu, Ramon Efren Lazaro, Sheila Crisostomo, Rhodina Villanueva, Rainier Allan Ronda, Perseus Echeminada, Jose Rodel Clapano, Evelyn Macairan