(MENAFN- The Peninsula) A strong typhoon slammed into the rice-producing Philippine northern region yesterday, cutting power and communications lines and forcing people to flee to higher ground, national disaster agency officials said.
Packing central winds of 130kph and gusts of up to 160kph, Typhoon Kalmaegi made landfall early evening yesterday in Isabela province, dumping heavy rains that soaked farms, said Alexander Pama, executive director of the national disaster risk reduction and management council.
Kalmaegi, known locally as "Luis", is moving west northwest at 22kph, but is expected to weaken and lose speed as it will cross a mountainous region before exiting into the South China Sea.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said yesterday that it was closely monitoring the provinces as Luis appeared to be picking up strength on its way to Northern Luzon.
Heavy rains and strong winds caused the cancellation yesterday of 10 domestic flights of Cebu Pacific to and from Manila, Legazpi City and Cotabato City.
"Expect heavy to intense rainfall within the 400km diametre of the tropical storm," NDRRMC administrator and Office of Civil Defense (OCD) executive director Alexander Pama said.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said that at 4pm Luis was estimated at 364km northeast of Virac, Catanduanes with maximum sustained winds of 110 km per hour and gustiness of up to 140kph. It was forecast to move west northwest at 20kph.
It is expected to make landfall tonight or this morning in the Cagayan-Isabela area.
PAGASA said Isabela and Cagayan would experience stormy weather with rough to very rough seas.
The provinces of Apayao, Kalinga, Mt Province, Ifugao, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Aurora and the islands of Calayan and Babuyan would experience rains with gusty winds.
The Bicol region and the provinces of Samar and Quezon would be cloudy with moderate to occasionally heavy rains and thunderstorms, which may trigger flashfloods and landslides.
The rest of Luzon and the Visayas would have cloudy skies with light to moderate rains howers and thunderstorms. Mindanao would be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.
Moderate to strong winds blowing from the southwest to west would prevail over Southern Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao and the coastal waters along these areas would be moderate to rough.
Elsewhere, winds would be light to moderate coming from southwest to south with slight to moderate seas.
Public storm signal No. 2 is up over the provinces of Isabela and Cagayan where 61kph to 100kph winds are expected.
Public storm signal No. 1 was raised over Calayan and Babuyan Group of Islands, Apayao, Kalinga, Mt Province, Ifugao, Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino, Aurora and Catanduanes where 30kph to 60kph winds are expected.
PAGASA is alerting residents in low-lying and mountainous areas under Signal No. 1 and No. 2 to possible flashfloods and landslides. Those living in coastal areas under signal No. 2 are alerted against storm surges.
The estimated amount of rainfall is from 8-20mm per hour (heavy-intense) within the 500km diametre of the tropical storm.
The NDRRMC said it has placed under Disaster Alert Level C the provinces of Abra, Apayao, Aurora, Benguet, Cagayan Ifugao, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Isabela, Kalinga, La Union, Mountain Province, Nueva Vizcaya, Pangasinan, Quezon and Quirino.
The provinces are expected to suffer heavy damage to agriculture due to possible widespread flooding.
Travel by land, sea and air would be highly dangerous as the expected 10-20mm rainfall as well as winds of 120 to 150kph would be enough to uproot trees and knock down power lines.
Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Camarines Sur and Camarines Norte, Catanduanes, Pampanga and Rizal were under Disaster Alert Level B. Luis is expected to dump moderate to heavy rain over these areas. Under Disaster Alert Level A are Metro Manila and the provinces of Albay, Bataan, Cavite and Laguna.
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