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| -Signs, Portents, and the Weather- | |
| Philippines braces for super typhoon over weekend | |
| 2010-10-16 | |
| [Arab News] The Philippines issued typhoon warnings along coastal and landslide-prone provinces in the north of its main island of Luzon on Friday as Typhoon Megi intensified and moved toward rice and corn production areas. Megi, a category 2 typhoon with winds of 105 kph (65 mph), was about 1,300 km (800 miles) east of southern Luzon and moving at 20 kph west northwest toward Luzon's Cagayan valley, Nathaniel Servando, a weather bureau official told reporters. "We expect it to intensify into a strong typhoon, packing winds stronger than 150 kph and heavy rains at the rate of 50 mm per hour," Servando said, adding the bureau had asked authorities to suspend sea travel and fishing in northern Philippines. "Fishermen are advised not to venture over the eastern and northern coasts of Luzon. Travelers are also advised to avoid landslide-prone areas." Megi was gaining strength and was expected to develop into a category 4 typhoon by Saturday evening, Servando said. It was expected to reach northern Luzon on Monday and head out to the South China Sea on Tuesday, moving toward Hainan and northern Vietnam. The storm is not expected to hit the capital Manila unless it changes direction unexpectedly. Benito Ramos, a retired general and head of the national disaster agency, said emergency personnel, including soldiers, had been placed on alert to provide rescue and relief operations. "We're aiming for zero casualty," Ramos said. Social and relief workers were preparing possible shelter areas.
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| Posted by:Fred |