TYPHOON BASYANG NEARS
MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Education (DepEd) on Tuesday suspended classes at the pre-school and elementary levels in Metro Manila this afternoon after a new typhoon threatened to bring heavy rains in the National Capital Region and other parts of Luzon.
Weather bureau PAGASA on Tuesday hoisted Public Storm Signal no. 1 in Metro Manila as typhoon "Basyang" (international codename: Conson) drew closer to eastern and southern sections of Central Luzon.
PAGASA Administrator Prisco Nilo said the typhoon could bring as much as 15 to 20 millimeters of rain per hour in Metro Manila, which could trigger floods.
"If the typhoon continues on track, we could raise Storm Signal No. 2 in Metro Manila because the storm will be nearer. We will also experience heavier rain because of the effect of the southwest monsoon," Nilo told reporters at a press briefing.
Susan Espinueva, head of PAGASA's Hydrometeorological Division, said the storm could bring as much as 100 millimeters of rain to the watershed in Angat Dam in Bulacan province.
The weather bureau said the storm has shifted direction westward and is expected to make landfall in Aurora-Northern Quezon area by late Tuesday or early Wednesday.
It said weather in Northern and Central Luzon and the Bicol region will be stormy with occasional rains and gusty winds.
The weather bureau hoisted Storm Signal No. 3 over Catanduanes Camarines Norte, Northern Quezon and Pollilo island and Aurora.
Storm Signal No. 2 was hoisted in Camarines Sur, parts of Quezon, Laguna, Rizal, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, Ifugao, Quirino and Isabela.
Finally, Storm Signal No. 1 was hoisted in Albay, Marinduque, Batangas, Cavite, Bataan, Pampanga, Zambales, Tarlac, Pangasinan, La Union, Benguet, Mountain province, Ilocos Sur, Kalinga, Apayao, Abra, Cagayan and Metro Manila.
As of 10 a.m., the cyclone was spotted 90 kilometers north of Virac, Catanduanes. The weather disturbance is packing 120 kph winds with gusts of up to 150 kph.