Severe tropical storm to enter PAR

MANILA, Philippines — Typhoon Mangkhut continues to gather strength and is expected to hit Northern Luzon this weekend, the state weather bureau warned yesterday.

Ariel Rojas, weather forecaster at the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), said Mangkhut is expected to make landfall over the Cagayan-Batanes area on Saturday.

He said Mangkhut’s winds might reach 205 kilometers per hour before approaching the Philippine area of responsibility on Wednesday.

“As early as Thursday we will raise tropical cyclone warning signals over Northern Luzon and adjacent areas that could experience strong winds from Mangkhut,” Rojas said.

As of 3 p.m. yesterday, the eye of the storm was located at 3,075 kilometers east of Southern Luzon, packing winds of 120 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of 145 kph.

It was moving west-northwest at a speed of 35 kph.

Mangkhut was forecast to exit the Philippine area of responsibility on Saturday or Sunday.

In an interview early yesterday, PAGASA senior weather forecaster Gener Quitlong said Mangkhut may reach the strength of Typhoon Jebi (local name Maymay) which hit Japan last week.

Packing winds of 160 kph with gusts of up to 215 kph, Jebi whipped the cities of Kobe and Osaka and surrounding areas, killing at least eight people and injuring dozens of others.

PAGASA continued to warn against flooding and landslides in Northern Luzon due to a low-pressure area.