‘Pablo’ veers back to Northern Luzon

MANILA, Philippines - Fourteen areas were placed under storm warning signals yesterday as typhoon “Pablo” (international name Bopha) regained strength and recurved to the northeastern part of the country near the western section of Northern Luzon.

Storm warning signal no. 2 was hoisted over Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur and La Union as of 5 p.m. yesterday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said.

Signal no. 1 was up in Cagayan including Calayan and Babuyan group of islands, Batanes group of islands, Abra, Apayao, Kalinga, Mt. Province, Benguet, Pangasinan and Zambales.

Pablo was forecast to make landfall over Ilocos Norte between 8 and 10 a.m. today.

“We expect Pablo to move closer to the western part of Northern and Central Luzon within 24 hours and bring rains and gusty winds,” PAGASA spokesperson Jori Loiz said.

As of 4 p.m. yesterday, the eye of Pablo was spotted 230 kilometers west of Sinait, Ilocos Sur with maximum sustained winds of 130 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 160 kph. It was moving east northeast at 17 kph.

PAGASA said Pablo is expected to bring 15 to 25 millimeter per hour of rain (heavy-intense) within its 400-km radius.

Pablo did not exit the country due to two high-pressure areas off the western Philippines.

Vicente Malano, PAGASA’s deputy administrator, advised fishermen not to venture into the seaboard of Northern Luzon and in the western seaboards of Central and Southern Luzon due to big waves.

Malano said Metro Manila would have light to moderate rains beginning tonight, while Mindanao would also experience light to moderate rains due to the inter-tropical convergence zone.

“The weather will not hamper the ongoing search and retrieval operations in Mindanao,” PAGASA’s weather forecasting section chief Rene Paciente said.

Loiz said once the cold wind of the northeast monsoon enters the center of Pablo, the typhoon would likely weaken or dissipate as cold weather is not conducive to the development of tropical cyclones.

Pablo is expected to be 50 km north of Aparri, Cagayan this afternoon; 320 km east of Basco, Batanes tomorrow afternoon; and 550 km northwest of Basco by Tuesday afternoon.