By Agence France Presse, Yahoo! Southeast Asia
(UPDATE 6) Storm signal number 2 is now up Metro Manila, with reported brownouts in different areas.
As of 11 p.m. (Manila time), the latest bulletin from Pagasa’s website showed that typhoon Basyang’s center is now at Infanta, Quezon and is expected to cross Central Luzon on Wednesday.
The Department of Education has also declared no classes in both private and public in pre-, primary up to high school levels in areas under storm signal number 2. These include Camarines Norte, Northern Quezon, Rizal, Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Cavite, Lubang Island, Laguna, Batangas, Bataan, Pampanga, Zambales, Tarlac, Pangasinan, Bulacan, and Metro Manila.
Storm signal number 1 has been declared in Catanduanes, Camarines Sur, the rest of Quezon, Marinduque, Nueva Vizcaya, Isabela, Ifugao, Benguet, and La Union.
The state weather bureau has lowered storm signal in the rest of the areas hit by the typhoon.
The Philippines braced for the first typhoon of the year as forecasters warned of floods and possible landslides across wide swathes of the country Tuesday.
In Manila, stormy weather ahead of typhoon Basyang (Conson) forced schools to close, international flights to divert, and ships to be barred from leaving port.
Basyang (Conson) is expected to hit land Tuesday night and will be between Aurora and Northern Quezon area.
“Areas that are in the direct path will experience heavy rains, even areas to the south of the typhoon will have strong rain,” chief state weather forecaster Prisco Nilo told reporters early Tuesday.
“It is possible that there will also be landslides or flooding.”
In a press conference late Tuesday, the state weather bureau said the typhoon will most likely be out of the country Thursday.
Packing maximum sustained winds of 120 kilometres (75 miles) per hour near the center and gusting at up to 150 kilometres per hour, Basyang was bearing down on Catanduanes island on the country’s eastern seaboard.
It was expected to cut west after that, dumping up to 20 millimetres (0.8 inches) of rain an hour on Luzon before exiting into the South China Sea on Wednesday, Nilo said.
Storm alerts were hoisted across Metropolitan Manila and nearly 30 provinces on Luzon, home to about half of the country’s 92 million people, the state weather bureau said.
Afternoon classes in elementary schools in Manila were suspended, while aviation authorities diverted several incoming flights to Clark airport about 80 kilometres (50 miles) north of the capital.
“There was poor visibility because of the heavy rains. They could not see the runway,” said Connie Bungag, a spokeswoman for the airport authority.
Flights of several small domestic carriers were also cancelled, while the coast guard barred ships from setting sail from Manila pier.
Coast guard spokesman Lieutenant Commander Armand Balilo said ships already en route to Manila should take shelter at the nearest port of call.
The arrival of Basyang marks the start of this year’s typhoon season for the Philippines.
About 20 typhoons slam into the Philippines every year, causing widespread destruction and claiming many lives.
Millions of poor Filipinos live in slums alongside rivers and waterways, making them particularly vulnerable to floods.
More than 1,000 people died in September and October last year when two fierce storms ripped through Manila and other parts of Luzon.
Earlier, the state weather bureau said tropical storm Basyang has intensified into a typhoon, prompting Pagasa to raise storm signal number 1 in Metro Manila and other areas.
(UPDATE 6) Storm signal number 2 is now up Metro Manila, with reported brownouts in different areas.
As of 11 p.m. (Manila time), the latest bulletin from Pagasa’s website showed that typhoon Basyang’s center is now at Infanta, Quezon and is expected to cross Central Luzon on Wednesday.
The Department of Education has also declared no classes in both private and public in pre-, primary up to high school levels in areas under storm signal number 2. These include Camarines Norte, Northern Quezon, Rizal, Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Cavite, Lubang Island, Laguna, Batangas, Bataan, Pampanga, Zambales, Tarlac, Pangasinan, Bulacan, and Metro Manila.
Storm signal number 1 has been declared in Catanduanes, Camarines Sur, the rest of Quezon, Marinduque, Nueva Vizcaya, Isabela, Ifugao, Benguet, and La Union.
The state weather bureau has lowered storm signal in the rest of the areas hit by the typhoon.
The Philippines braced for the first typhoon of the year as forecasters warned of floods and possible landslides across wide swathes of the country Tuesday.
In Manila, stormy weather ahead of typhoon Basyang (Conson) forced schools to close, international flights to divert, and ships to be barred from leaving port.
Basyang (Conson) is expected to hit land Tuesday night and will be between Aurora and Northern Quezon area.
“Areas that are in the direct path will experience heavy rains, even areas to the south of the typhoon will have strong rain,” chief state weather forecaster Prisco Nilo told reporters early Tuesday.
“It is possible that there will also be landslides or flooding.”
In a press conference late Tuesday, the state weather bureau said the typhoon will most likely be out of the country Thursday.
Packing maximum sustained winds of 120 kilometres (75 miles) per hour near the center and gusting at up to 150 kilometres per hour, Basyang was bearing down on Catanduanes island on the country’s eastern seaboard.
It was expected to cut west after that, dumping up to 20 millimetres (0.8 inches) of rain an hour on Luzon before exiting into the South China Sea on Wednesday, Nilo said.
Storm alerts were hoisted across Metropolitan Manila and nearly 30 provinces on Luzon, home to about half of the country’s 92 million people, the state weather bureau said.
Afternoon classes in elementary schools in Manila were suspended, while aviation authorities diverted several incoming flights to Clark airport about 80 kilometres (50 miles) north of the capital.
“There was poor visibility because of the heavy rains. They could not see the runway,” said Connie Bungag, a spokeswoman for the airport authority.
Flights of several small domestic carriers were also cancelled, while the coast guard barred ships from setting sail from Manila pier.
Coast guard spokesman Lieutenant Commander Armand Balilo said ships already en route to Manila should take shelter at the nearest port of call.
The arrival of Basyang marks the start of this year’s typhoon season for the Philippines.
About 20 typhoons slam into the Philippines every year, causing widespread destruction and claiming many lives.
Millions of poor Filipinos live in slums alongside rivers and waterways, making them particularly vulnerable to floods.
More than 1,000 people died in September and October last year when two fierce storms ripped through Manila and other parts of Luzon.
Earlier, the state weather bureau said tropical storm Basyang has intensified into a typhoon, prompting Pagasa to raise storm signal number 1 in Metro Manila and other areas.
