Ofel weakens, batters N. Luzon with wind, rain

Typhoon Ofel battered Northern Luzon yesterday with torrential rains and intense winds, with the highest wind signal raised during its passage.

- ROMINA CABRERA

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Ofel (international name Usagi) made landfall over Baggao, Cagayan at around 1:30 p.m. yesterday.

Ofel was monitored in the vicinity of Gonzaga or Isca in Cagayan as of 4 p.m. and was forecast to make landfall in the vicinity of Babuyan Islands before passing over the waters of Batanes and northward toward the sea east of Taiwan.

PAGASA said that there is a high risk of life-threatening storm surge with peak heights exceeding three meters over parts of Batanes, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Cagayan including Babuyan Islands, Isabela and northern Aurora.

The cyclone weakened as it passed over the terrains of Luzon but was still packing maximum sustained winds of 165 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 275 kph.

Tropical cyclone wind signal No. 4 was still raised over Babuyan Islands and the northern and eastern portions of mainland Cagayan while signal No. 3 was raised over Batanes, the rest of Cagayan, the northern portion of Isabela, the northern portion of Apayao, and the northern portion of Ilocos Norte.

Meanwhile, signal No. 21 was raised over the western and eastern portions of Isabela, the rest of Apayao, Kalinga, the northeastern portion of Abra, the eastern portion of Mountain Province and the rest of Ilocos Norte.

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

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Pepito (international name Man-yi) was forecast to enter the eastern boundary of the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) last night.

Pepito is forecast to generally move northwestward and make landfall over the eastern coast of Southern Luzon during the weekend.