Super Typhoon Karding makes 1st landfall in Quezon town

MANILA, Philippines — Super Typhoon Karding (Noru), the strongest cyclone to hit the Philippines this year, made its first landfall late Sunday afternoon, state weather bureau PAGASA said.

PAGASA said the center of Karding’s eye made landfall in the vicinity of Burdeos town in Quezon province at 5:30 p.m.

“Frictional effects during landfall and traverse of the Luzon landmass will weaken KARDING throughout the evening through tomorrow early morning, although it is highly likely that this tropical cyclone will remain a typhoon while crossing the landmass,” PAGASA said in its 5 p.m. bulletin issued ahead of the landfall.

The super typhoon was packing maximum sustained winds of 195 kilometers an hour and gusts of 240 km an hour after an unprecedented “explosive intensification.”

Karding was moving west at 20 kph. Weather forecasters earlier said that Karding will cross the agricultural region of Central Luzon and emerge over the West Philippine Sea via the coastal waters of Zambales or Pangasinan.

PAGASA hoisted wind signals over the following areas:

TCWS Signal No. 5 (Very strong winds of more than 185 kph may be expected in at least 12 hours)

• Polillo Islands
• Extreme northern portion of Quezon (northern and central portions of General Nakar, the northeastern portion of Infanta)
• Extreme southern portion of Aurora (Dingalan)
• Extreme southern portion of Nueva Ecija (General Tinio, City of Gapan, Peñaranda, San Isidro, Cabiao)
• Pampanga (Arayat, Candaba, Santa Ana, San Luis, Candaba, Arayat)
• Eastern and central portions of Bulacan (San Rafael, Angat, Norzagaray, Doña Remedios Trinidad, San Ildefonso, San Miguel)
• Extreme northern portion of Rizal (Rodriguez)

TCWS Signal No. 4 (Winds of greater than 118 km/h up to 184 km/h may be expected in at least 12 hours)

• Calaguas Islands
• Central and southern portion of Nueva Ecija (Cuyapo, Nampicuan, Guimba, Licab, Zaragoza, San Antonio, San Leonardo, Jaen, Santa Rosa, Palayan City, Gabaldon, Laur, Cabanatuan City, Aliaga, Quezon, Santo Domingo, Talavera, Llanera, General Mamerto Natividad, Rizal, Bongabon, Talugtug, Science City of Muñoz)
• Northern portion of Metro Manila (Marikina, Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, Valenzuela, and Quezon City)
• Tarlac
• the rest of Pampanga
• the rest of Bulacan
• Zambales
• Northern portion of Bataan (Dinalupihan, Hermosa, Morong, Orani, Samal, Abucay)
• Southern portion of Pangasinan (Bautista, Alcala, Bayambang, Mangatarem, Urbiztondo, Aguilar, Bugallon, Infanta, Dasol, Burgos, Mabini, Labrador)
• Extreme northern portion of Laguna (Famy, Siniloan, Santa Maria, Pangil)

TCWS No. 3 (Winds of greater than 89 km/h up to 117 km/h may be expected in at least 18 hours)

• The central portion of Aurora (Dipaculao)
• Southeastern portion of Nueva Vizcaya (Alfonso Castaneda, Dupax del Sur, Dupax del Norte)
• the rest of Nueva Ecija
• the rest of Bataan
• the rest of Pangasinan
• the rest of Metro Manila
• the rest of Rizal
• Northern and central portions of Laguna (Mabitac, Pakil, Paete, Kalayaan, Lumban, Cavinti, Pagsanjan, Luisiana, Majayjay, Magdalena, Santa Cruz, Pila, Liliw, Nagcarlan, Victoria, Rizal, City of San Pedro, City of Biñan, City of Santa Rosa, Cabuyao City, City of Calamba, Los Baños, Bay, Calauan)
• Northern and central portions of Cavite (Tanza, Rosario, Noveleta, Kawit, Imus City, Bacoor City, City of Dasmariñas, Carmona, Gen. Mariano Alvarez, Silang, Amadeo, City of General Trias, Trece Martires City, Naic, Indang)
• the rest of the northern portion of Quezon (Infanta, Real, General Nakar, Mauban)
• Northern portion of Camarines Norte (Vinzons, Paracale, Jose Panganiban, Capalonga)

TCWS No. 2 (Winds of greater than 62 km/h and up to 88 km/h may be expected in at least 24 hours)

• The southern portion of Isabela (Dinapigue, San Guillermo, Echague, San Agustin, Jones)
• Quirino
• the rest of Nueva Vizcaya
• Benguet
• La Union
• the rest of Aurora
• the rest of Cavite
• Batangas
• the rest of Laguna
• the central portions of Quezon (Calauag, Perez, Alabat, Quezon, Tagkawayan, Guinayangan, Sampaloc, Lucban, City of Tayabas, Lucena City, Pagbilao, Padre Burgos, Atimonan, Agdangan, Unisan, Plaridel, Gumaca, Lopez, Pitogo, Dolores, Candelaria, Sariaya, Tiaong, San Antonio, Macalelon, General Luna, Catanauan, Buenavista)
• the rest of Camarines Norte, the northern portion of Camarines Sur (Del Gallego, Ragay, Lupi, Sipocot, Libmanan, Pamplona, Pasacao, San Fernando, Pili, Minalabac, Ocampo, Tigaon, Cabusao, Magarao, Gainza, Canaman, Camaligan, Milaor, Naga City, Bombon, Calabanga, Tinambac, Siruma, Goa, Lagonoy, San Jose, Garchitorena, Presentacion, Caramoan, Sagñay)
• Catanduanes

TCWS No. 1 (Winds of 39-61 km/h may be expected in at least 36 hours or intermittent rains may be expected within 36 hours)

• Southern portion of Cagayan (Tuao, Solana, Enrile, Tuguegarao City, Iguig, Peñablanca)
• the rest of Isabela
• Southern portion of Apayao (Conner)
• Kalinga
• Abra
• Mountain Province
• Ifugao
• Southern portion of Ilocos Norte (Nueva Era, Badoc, Pinili, Banna, City of Batac, Currimao, Paoay, Marcos)
• Ilocos Sur
• the rest of Quezon
• Northern portion of Occidental Mindoro (Abra de Ilog, Paluan, Mamburao, Santa Cruz) including Lubang Islands
• Northern portion of Oriental Mindoro (Puerto Galera, San Teodoro, Baco, City of Calapan, Naujan, Victoria, Pola, Socorro, Pinamalayan)
• Marinduque
• the rest of Camarines Sur
• Albay
• Sorsogon
• Burias Island
• Ticao Island

Torrential rains

According to PAGASA, heavy to intense with at times torrential rains are expected over the following areas until early Monday morning:

• Metro Manila
• Zambales
• Bataan
• Tarlac
• Pampanga
• Nueva Ecija
• Bulacan
• Aurora
• Rizal
• Northern portion of Quezon including Polillo Islands. 

Meanwhile, moderate to heavy rains will affect the following areas:

• Isabela
• Nueva Vizcaya
• Quirino
• Benguet
• Ifugao
• Mountain Province
• Pangasinan
• Cavite
• Laguna
• Batangas
• Central portion of Quezon
• Occidental Mindoro
•  Camarines Norte

Light to moderate with at times heavy rains will be experienced in the following

• Oriental Mindoro
• Marinduque
• Rest of Calabarzon
• Bicol region

PAGASA also warned of a “high to very high risk” of storm surge more than 3 meters height in the low-lying and exposed coastal areas of northern Quezon including Polillo Island.  

A moderate to high risk of storm surge is also possible over Camarines Norte, Pangasinan, Zambales, Bulacan, the northern portion of Metro Manila, the southern portion of La Union, and the rest of Quezon.

“The combined effects of storm surge and high waves breaking along the coast may cause life-threatening and damaging inundation or flooding,” PAGASA said.

The Philippines is ranked among the most vulnerable nations to the impacts of climate change. It is hit by an average of 20 storms every year.

Scientists warn that storms are becoming more powerful as the world continues to get warmer because of human-induced climate change.

Karding’s track

• Monday, September 26 at 2 a.m. - in the vicinity of Botolan, Zambales
• Monday, September 26 at 2 p.m. - 315 km west of Dagupan City, Pangasinan
• Tuesday, September 27 at 2 a.m. - 625 km west of Dagupan City, Pangasinan
• Tuesday, September  27 at 2 p.m. - 865 km west of Central Luzon