Typhoon seen to make landfall Thursday

DOST-PAGASA MTSAT-EIR Satellite Image for 11 p.m. 19 Oct. 2009.

MANILA - The state weather agency on late Monday evening has raised storm signals over provinces in the northeastern part of the country as Typhoon “Ramil” (international code name Lupit) approached Luzon while still bearing its near-supertyphoon winds.

Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), in its 11 p.m. update, raised Public Storm Signal No. 1 over the provinces of Isabela, Cagayan (including Calayan and Babuyan islands) and the Batanes group of islands.

PAGASA earlier said that Typhoon Ramil is expected to make landfall at extreme northern Luzon by Thursday morning or afternoon.

The typhoon was reported to have maintained its strength estimated at maximum sustained winds of 195 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 230 kph.

As of 10 p.m., the typhoon was located 970 kilometers east of Aparri, Cagayan and was forecast to be moving west northwest at 17 kilometers per hour.

PAGASA said it expects the typhoon to be 630 kilometers east northeast of Aparri, Cagayan by Tuesday evening; 240 kilometers east northeast of Aparri, Cagayan by Wednesday evening: and 40 kilometers northeast of Laoag City by Thursday evening

In the PAGASA's 5 p.m. press conference, PAGASA weather bureau chief Nathaniel Cruz explained that the typhoon is expected to move west northwest in the next 24 hours, then move in a west southwest direction on Tuesday and Wednesday, targeting Cagayan.

Eastern sections of Northern Luzon will experience cloudy weather with rainshowers by Tuesday evening, and will experience stormy weather on Thursday as the typhoon approaches.

Strong to gale force winds as well as storm surges in coastal areas in the eastern sections of Luzon will also be felt as the typhoon approaches, PAGASA warned.

Meanwhile, PAGASA had said that in the next 2 days, scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms will be felt mostly in the afternoon or evening over southern Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, due to the presence of an intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ).

Dam gates still open

US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration water vapor image showing Typhoon Ramil as of 11:30 p.m. Oct. 19

As for the status of the major dams in Luzon, the PAGASA's Flood Forecasting Branch reported that as of 9 p.m., 5 out of 7 dams in Central and Northern Luzon still have open floodgates to let water out of their reservoirs.

These dams are Ambuklao (4 gates opened, water release at 61 cubic meters per second), Binga (1 gate, 177 cms), San Roque (2 gates, 425 cms), Pantabangan (1 gate, 220 cms), and Magat (1 gate, 551 cms).

The floodgates of Angat and Ipo dams which have been open over the weekend have already closed earlier in the morning.