(Eagle News) — Typhoon “Lawin” (international name Haima) gained more strength as it continues to threaten Northern Luzon.
This typhoon has maximum sustained winds of up to 210 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 260 kph, and is likened to supertyphoon Yolanda that devastated the country in November 2013.
PAGASA, the country’s weather bureau, said that “Lawin” will further intensify before making landfall early Thursday morning over the Cagayan area.
The public was thus advised to take all the precautionary and safety measures as this typhoon, if it further intensifies and grains strength might be like supertyphoon Yolanda which had sustained winds of up to 315 kph and gusts as strong as 380 kph.
After Cagayan, “Lawin” will then cross Apayao and Ilocos Norte.
It is forecast to move west northwest at 26 kph.
As of 7 a.m., it was located 450 kilometers east of Casiguran, Aurora.
These early, six areas were placed under public storm warning signal number three: Cagayan, Isabela, Kalinga, Apayao, Ifugao, Mt. Province. These areas will experience strong winds from 121 to 170 kilometers per hour. Coastal areas here will also be experiencing possible storm surges, and waves in open seas are expected to reach a height of up to 14 meters, according to PAGASA’s forecast.
The Calayan Group of Islands, Northern Aurora, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, Benguet, La Union, Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, Abra were also placed under storm signal number two, and will experience winds of up to 120 kph.
Areas under storm warning signal number one are the Batanes group of Islands, Tarlac, Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija, Rest of Aurora, Zambales, Pampanga, Bulacan, Bataan, Northern Quezon including Polillo Islands, Rizal, Laguna, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes and Metro Manila. Residents in these areas are warned that they would experience winds of up to 60 kph.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) warned that typhoon Lawin could bring massive destruction in Northern Luzon once it makes landfall, especially in the areas that are in its projected path.