Typhoon ‘Lando’ Weakens, 24 Areas in Luzon Still Under Storm Signals

At least 24 areas in Luzon including Metro Manila are still under public storm warning signals as typhoon “Lando” slightly weakens as it continues its slow movement towards the provinces of Apayao, Ilocos Norte and Abra, the state weather bureau said on Monday.

As of 4 a.m., the center of typhoon “Lando” was located in the vicinity of Tinoc, Ifugao, said Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) weather forecaster Glaiza Escullar.

She said typhoon “Lando’s” maximum sustained winds has reduced from 150 kilometers per hour (kph) to 120 kph near the center and its gustiness from 185 kph to 150 kph.

Escullar said the weakening of the typhoon is due to interaction in landmass.

She added the typhoon continues to move slowly at 5 kph as it moves north northeast. With slow movement, the typhoon will linger inside the country and expected to exit by weekend as it heads toward Japan.

She also noted that public storm warning signals elsewhere is now lowered.

Public storm warning signal no. 2 is raised in the provinces of Benguet, Cagayan including Calayan and Babuyan group of Islands, Ilocos Sur, Nueva Vizcaya, Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos Norte, Ifugao, Mountain Province, Kalinga, Apayao and Abra.

Signal no. 1 is hoisted in Metro Manila, as well in the provinces of Zambales, Tarlac, Pampanga, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Quirino, Aurora, Isabela and Batanes.

Occasional rains and gusty winds will be experienced over provinces under storm warning signal no. 1 while those under storm signal no. 2 will have stormy weather.

Residents in low lying and mountainous areas of the provinces are alerted against possible flashfloods and landslides.

Storm surge may reach to a maximum of up to 2 meters in the provinces affected by the typhoon.

The estimated rainfall amount is from heavy to intense within the 500 km diameter of the typhoon.

Weather improvement in some areas in Luzon including Metro Manila should be expected within the day as typhoon Lando will be headed towards extreme northern Luzon, Escullar said.

For Monday’s forecast, PAGASA said that stormy weather is expected over Cordillera region, provinces of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Abra, La Union, Cagayan including Calayan and Babuyan Islands.

Rains with gusty winds will prevail over Pangasinan, Zambales, Tarlac, Pampanga, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Aurora, rest of Cagayan Valley and Metro Manila.

Cloudy skies with light to moderate rains will be experienced over Western Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula and the rest of Luzon while partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated thunderstorms will prevail over the rest of the country.

It added moderate to strong winds blowing from the northeast to northwest will prevail over the rest of Luzon and coming from the southwest over Visayas and Mindanao with moderate to rough seas.

The state-run weather bureau also issued a gale warning as the sea condition would be rough to very rough due to strong to gale force winds expected to affect the seaboards of Luzon and Visayas.

“Fishing boats and other small seacraft are advised not to venture out into the sea while larger sea vessels are alerted against big waves,” it warned. (PNA) JMC/CLTC