PAGASA: “Glenda” out, “Henry” not far behind

CEBU, Philippines - Just as typhoon Glenda left the country, another weather disturbance is being anticipated to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility.

PAGASA Mactan chief Al Quiblat, however, said the possible typhoon, to be named “Henry” as it enters the country, will not be as powerful as Glenda which downed properties and utilities and even claimed at least 38 lives as of yesterday’s report of the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council.

“Base sa international forecasting images, parehas ni siya ug tracking ni Florita, katong gisundan ni Glenda, pero mas hinay ni siya,” Quiblat told The Freeman.

The local state weather bureau chief explained that Florita did not make a landfall and only got near northern Luzon as it exits the PAR before heading to Japan.

But despite predictions of not being directly under the coming typhoon path, Cebu and Central Visayas will still experience rainy weather as habagat is enhanced by the weather disturbance.

“Makasinati gihapon ta ug kalit-kalit nga pag-ulan karon (yesterday) ug ugma (today),” Quiblat said.

Meanwhile, the doppler radar installed in PAGASA Mactan compound in Lapu-Lapu City aiding weather forecasting for Cebu and neighboring provinces remains non-operational.

Quiblat said the signal processor, considered the heart of the radar, provides the images to detect and predict typhoon path and the amount of rainfall that it will dump in the area within the radar.

The part has been ordered from Alabama, USA, and the purchase is directly administered by DOST PAGASA Central Office.

The signal processor, Quiblat added, costing roughly P1.6 million did not malfunction due to external factors but because it has reached its maximum functional life-span of three years since it was installed.

“But dili ra man siya dako ug epekto sa atong pag forecast kay duna man tay laing paagi sa pagtan-aw sa panahon,” he said.

Quiblat said he has already requested a technical experts from the central office to assess the damage of the doppler radar and to also check what else is defective in the doppler radar purchased by the national government in 2011 amounting to about P100 million. (FREEMAN)