Hanna, monsoon to bring heavy rainfall over Metro

MANILA, Philippines — Hanna has intensified into a typhoon and will continue to enhance the southwest monsoon, bringingheavy rainfall over parts of Metro Manila and the country in the next few days.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said that Hanna was monitored 10 kilometers east-northeast of Itbayat, Batanes and was moving westward at 15 km per hour, carrying maximum sustained winds of 120 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 150 kph.

Hanna (international name Haikui) is enhancing the southwest monsoon, alongside super typhoon Saola (formerly Goring) and severe tropical storm Kirogi.

PAGASA said that 100-200 mm of rain are forecast over Metro Manila, Zambales, Bataan and Occidental Mindoro until tomorrow.

Meanwhile, 50-100 mm of rain are forecast for the next days over Abra, Benguet, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite, Batangas, Northern Palawan and Antique.

PAGASA warned of possible flooding and rain-induced landslides during heavy rains, especially in areas highly susceptible to these hazards.

Hanna is forecast to exit the Philippine area of responsibility tomorrow after it passes or makes landfall over Yaeyama Islands in the Ryukyu archipelago and traverses Taiwan.

It may reach peak intensity tomorrow morning prior to landfall over Taiwan and may weaken as it makes landfall over mainland China on Monday.

PAGASA is also monitoring tropical storm Kirogi, which was 3,000 km east of extreme northern Luzon as of 3 p.m. yesterday, carrying maximum sustained winds of 95 kph and gustiness of up to 115 kph.

At least one person has died due to circumstances arising from the southwest monsoon’s heavy rains enhanced by typhoons Goring and Hanna during the past several days.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) is still validating the reported casualty from the Western Visayas region earlier identified as missing.

As of Sept. 1, a total of 106,677 families or 387,242 persons have been affected in seven different regions in Luzon and the Visayas; 5,152 families or 21,701 persons are seeking temporary shelter in 293 different evacuation centers in various affected provinces.

The NDRRMC said affected regions include the Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Western Visayas and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).

Current data also show a total of 482 damaged houses in the Ilocos region, Cagayan Valley, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Western Visayas and CAR.

Fifty four passengers, drivers and cargo helpers have remained stranded in the ports of Looc and San Agustin in Romblon, as well as the port of Real in Quezon province as of 4 p.m. yesterday because of rough waves in the Southern Tagalog region, reported the Philippine Coast Guard.

Meanwhile, the damage to agriculture has reached P504.4 million, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).

As of Sept. 1, the DA reported at least 11,965 farmers in Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon and Western Visayas were affected covering 19,658 hectares of agricultural lands.

The DA added the volume of production loss was at 21,134 metric tons.

Damage to palay plantations reached P362.2 million covering 13,967 hectares while at least P139.1 million worth of corn farms were affected by the super typhoon, the agency said.

Aside from rice and corn, the DA also reported P2.7 million worth of damage to high value crops covering nine hectares and P487,000 worth of damage to livestock and poultry.

The NDRRMC also reported the estimated worth of damage to infrastructure remains at P41.2 million in Cagayan Valley and Mimaropa.

More than P16.4 million worth of assistance has been given to affected families in the forms of financial aid, family food packs, meals and other basic needs, the council said.

The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development has also activated its local shelter teams in affected regions for possible emergency response and assistance, especially to those whose houses have been damaged.

The evacuation centers are located in barangays Masambong, Bagong Silangan, Damayang Lagi, Roxas, Tatalon and UP Campus.

Flights canceled

The Manila International Airport Authority announced the cancellation of 22 international flights due to Typhoon Hanna.

Canceled flights include the Manila-Hong Kong-Manila flights of Cathay Pacific, Cebu Pacific, AirAsia and Philippine Airlines, as well as China Southern Airlines’ Canton-Manila flight. — Michael Punongbayan, Ghio Ong, Elizabeth Marcelo, Bella Cariaso, Rudy Santos