(Eagle News) — Typhoon Ompong has slightly accelerated as it continues to threaten Northern Luzon, packing powerful winds of 205 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 255 kph.
The typhoon is also so large in diameter at 900 kilometers that it could affect the eastern seaboards of Visayas and Mindanao.
The country’s weather bureau, PAGASA, has placed at least 17 areas under signal number one as the typhoon nears with its eye recorded at 855 km East of Virac, Catanduanes (14.3 °N, 132.1 °E ). It is moving now at a speed of 30 kph, from the previous 20 kph.
In Luzon, these areas were under signal no. 1:
o Cagayan
o Isabela
o Kalinga
o Mountain Province
o Ifugao
o Nueva Vizcaya
o Quirino
o Aurora
o Quezon inc. Polillo Island
o Camarines Norte
o Camarines Sur
o Albay
o Sorsogon
o Catanduanes
o Burias and Ticao Islands.
In Visayas, Northern Samar was also placed under signal number 1.
PAGASA said the typhoon continues to threaten Northern Luzon. It is expected to make landfall in the northern tip of Cagayan on Saturday morning (September 15).
“Fisherfolks and those with small seacrafts are advised not to venture out over the seaboards of areas under TCWS #1, and the northern seaboard of Northern Luzon and the eastern seaboards of Visayas and of Mindanao,” it said in its advisory.
It is expected to be 645 km East of Casiguran, Aurora(15.7°N, 128.1°E) by Friday morning, and 155 kilometers east of Tuguegarao City in Cagayan by Saturday morning.
