Julian may become super typhoon; Signal 4 in Batanes

MANILA, Philippines — Devastating winds and rains brought by Typhoon Julian battered Batanes as tropical cyclone wind signal No. 4 was hoisted in the province.

Julian (international name Krathon) was forecast to intensify into a super typhoon last night, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

The cyclone will start recurving today, turn toward the southwestern coast of Taiwan and make landfall tomorrow.

Julian will exit the Philippine area of responsibility by Thursday.

Signal No. 3 was raised over the northern and western portions of Babuyan Islands.

Signal No. 2 was hoisted in the northern and western portions of mainland Cagayan, including the rest of Babuyan Islands, Apayao, Abra, Kalinga, Ilocos Norte and the northern and central portions of Ilocos Sur.

Signal No. 1 was raised over the rest of Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Ifugao, Mountain Province, Benguet, the rest of mainland Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, the northern portion of Aurora and the northern portion of Nueva Ecija.

The trough of Typhoon Julian will bring scattered rains over Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Calabarzon and Occidental Mindoro.

No classes, work

Classes in public and private schools and work in some state agencies were suspended yesterday by local officials of La Union, Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte and Pangasinan.

Suspension of work in the private sector is left to the discretion of their heads of offices, La Union Gov. Rafy Ortega-David said.

Classes were suspended in Batanes, Aparri, Cagayan, Calayan, Tuao and Tuguegarao City in Cagayan Valley; Bayambang, Mapandan and Rosales in Pangasinan; Angeles City and San Fernando in Pampanga; Laoag City in Ilocos Norte; Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Quezon, Rizal, Baguio, Benguet and Bataan.

Food packs sent

Family food packs and other relief items have been sent to victims of Typhoon Julian in northern Luzon, according to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

About 17,000 boxes of food packs were sent two weeks ago to Batanes, DSWD spokesperson Irene Dumlao told radio dzBB.

Pre-positioned food packs are stored in a warehouse in Cagayan, she noted.

In Cagayan, 284 families were evacuated as of yesterday.

Of the number, 172 families or 482 people went to evacuation centers while 116 families or 357 people stayed outside.

The Ilocos region was placed under red alert status.

Meanwhile, access roads in Apayao province were closed yesterday due to heavy rains, including the Apayao-Ilocos Norte road in Calanasan and Claveria-Calanasan-Kabugao road.

The Abra-Kalinga road in Poblacion, Malibcong, Abra was impassable due to soil collapse as of 7:30 a.m. yesterday.

The Abra-Ilocos Norte road in Nagaparan, Danglas, Abra was closed due to a landslide.

A road in San Gabriel town in La Union was blocked by a landslide. — Delon Porcalla, Jun Elias, Rudy Santos, Sheila Crisostomo, Artemio Dumlao, Neil Jayson Servallos, Alexis Romero