The weather bureau PAGASA said a “super typhoon” may enter the Philippines on Wednesday.
PAGASA said Hinnamnor reached “super typhoon” category at 2 p.m. Tuesday and is the first super typhoon to enter the Philippines this year.
The tropical cyclone was spotted off northeastern Luzon on Wednesday, and “may still intensify,” PAGASA said.
Hinnamnor reached the super typhoon category at 2 p.m. Tuesday. It is the first super typhoon that enter the Philippines this year. In its 5 p.m. bulletin, the weather bureau said Hinnamnor was packing 185 kph maximum sustained winds and up to 230 kph gusts.
PAGASA said it is possible that the super typhoon will continue to intensify over the sea south of Japan and may reach a peak intensity of 195 kilometers per hour.
According to PAGASA, it is “not ruling out the possibility of hoisting tropical cyclone wind signals over extreme northern Luzon as Hinnamnor may continue to expand in the coming days as it moves towards the northern Philippine Sea.”
PAGASA meanwhile said that a low-pressure area (LPA) in Northern Luzon developed into tropical depression “Gardo.”
Gardo was 1,195 kilometers east Northern Luzon at 3 p.m., with maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour and 70 kph gusts, PAGASA said.
The storm will bring cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms in Aurora, Calabarzon, and Camarines Norte, while Metro Manila and the rest of the country will experience localized thunderstorms.
PAGASA said meanwhile, super typhoon Hinnamnor was still outside the Philippine area of responsibility .
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) meanwhile said the amount of infrastructure damage caused by severe tropical storm Florita has reached P571.1 million.
In its update Tuesday, the NDRRMC said the amount covers P546.7 million in Ilocos Region and P24.4 million in Cagayan Valley.
Meanwhile, agriculture damage was estimated at P13.03 million in Ilocos Region while irrigation system damage was placed at P10.85 million in Calabarzon.
Damaged houses were placed at 95 and these were reported in Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).
Around 81 of these houses were classified as “partially damaged” while 14 were considered as “totally damaged”.
The number of affected families has reached 32,351 which is equivalent to 131,235 persons residing in 515 barangays (villages) in Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, National Capital Region, and the CAR.
Of these, only 294 families or 1,013 individuals are being aided in 21 evacuation centers while the remainder have either returned home or sought shelter with relatives and friends.
The number of confirmed fatalities stands at two—one each in Ilocos Region and the CAR. Three persons were confirmed injured in Cagayan Valley.
Still undergoing verification are reports of one death and one injured in Bicol.