The Typhoon East of Northern Luzon has intensified as it entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility and was named "JUAN". At 4:00 a.m. today, Typhoon "JUAN" was located based on satellite and surface data at 1,140 km East of Northern Luzon (16.8°N 133.8°E) with maximum sustained winds of 140 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 170 kph. Forecast to move Northwest at 20 kph
There have been predictions of around 2 inches of rainfall per hour. One can't help remember how floodwaters caused by Pepeng has ravaged this part of the country
From the Inquirer:
Like Ondoy’s rain
Asked how much rain the typhoon could bring, Pagasa officer in charge Graciano Yumul Jr. said, “For now, probably like Ondoy’s.”
The deadliest typhoon to hit the country in recent years, Ondoy dumped 455 millimeters of rain in the Pagasa monitoring site in Quezon City in 24 hours on Sept. 26, 2009.
Science Secretary Mario Montejo said the strength of the new typhoon’s winds were comparable to that of Basyang, based on Friday’s satellite data.
“But this will have to be verified by the Doppler radars on Sunday afternoon,” Montejo said in a press briefing.
Pagasa has notified local governments of the typhoon’s possible path and strength so that they can prepare.
Travel warning
Officials have warned people not to travel in northern Luzon, especially in landslide-prone areas, starting Sunday morning.
The waters in eastern Luzon will become rough and dangerous to all kinds of vessels by then, Pagasa said. Fishermen and travelers were advised to stay inland over the weekend.
Montejo said Pagasa had been monitoring the dams in Luzon to prevent spills. “We want to see if we need to release water before the typhoon,” he said.
Pagasa said it would use its official twitter account, @dost_pagasa, to spread its public typhoon warnings to the masses. Yumul said the agency will post hourly updates on the twitter account.
Megi is the first major weather disturbance to confront the new Pagasa leadership since President Aquino sacked Pagasa administrator Dr. Prisco Nilo in August for being supposedly “way off the mark” in Pagasa’s forecast of the path of Basyang.
Even before the first effects of Megi could be felt, relief officials in some areas of Luzon have begun preparations to meet its possible onslaught.
Disaster councils of various coastal towns met on Friday to assess their evacuation plans and prepare quick reaction teams, said Chief Supt. Francisco Jose Villaroman, Cagayan Valley police director.
Mayor Ismael Tumaru of Aparri, Cagayan, placed rescue teams on standby for the weekend. “We went around [to find out] which barangay must be prioritized for evacuation and for relief goods,” he said.
The government also briefed villagers living near coastlines on protocols to be followed should the Cagayan River and the Babuyan Channel swell up.
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