Typhoon Helen to bring strong winds, heavy rains

MANILA, Philippines – Residents of extreme northern Luzon should brace for heavy rains and gusty winds beginning tonight as Typhoon Helen (international name Megi) continues to move closer to the Batanes-Taiwan area, the state weather bureau warned over the weekend.

Helen is still expected to gather strength, as it hovers over bodies of water before hitting southern Taiwan, according to Esperanza Cayanan, chief of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) weather division.

Although it is unlikely to hit Philippine landmass, Helen is forecast to bring strong winds and heavy rains over the extreme northern Luzon, which was still recovering from the past two cyclones, Ferdie (Meranti) and Gener (Malakas).

“Latest forecasts show that Helen’s track will be southern Taiwan, but this could still change, as Batanes is close to Taiwan,” Cayanan told reporters yesterday. “So let’s continue to monitor, especially on Tuesday, when the typhoon is closest to Batanes. Let’s not be complacent.”

The weather bureau also warned the public against going out into the northern and eastern seaboards of northern Luzon due to big waves generated by the typhoon.

Cayanan said Helen is not expected to reach the strength of Typhoon Ferdie, which slammed into extreme northern Luzon last Sept. 13 with damaging winds of up to 220 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 255 kph.

As of 5 p.m. Sunday, tropical cyclone warning signal no. 1 was raised over Batanes and the Babuyan group of islands.

These areas can expect winds of 30 to 60 kph in at least 36 hours, PAGASA weather forecaster Aldczar Aurelio said.

As of 4 p.m. yesterday, the eye of the typhoon was spotted at 880 kilometers east of Calayan, Cagayan, with maximum sustained winds of 140 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 175 kph.

It is forecast to move west-northwest at 22 kph.

Aurelio said most of the forecasting models used by PAGASA showed that Helen will hit southern Taiwan tomorrow afternoon and make a second landfall in China, where it is expected to weaken into a tropical depression.

“It has a slim chance of making landfall over extreme northern Luzon,” he said.

Helen is also expected to enhance the southwest monsoon, which will bring light to moderate rains over the western section of Luzon, including Metro Manila, and western Visayas beginning Monday.

According to Rene Paciente, chief of the PAGASA’s marine meteorological services section, Metro Manila will experience rains from the enhanced southwest monsoon beginning tonight.

The rains, Paciente said, would be more frequent Tuesday as Helen passes near extreme northern Luzon.

Aurelio said the typhoon is expected to be closest to Batanes between 2 a.m. and 8 a.m. Tuesday and is projected to exit the Philippine area of responsibility around afternoon or evening.

But the southwest monsoon will continue to bring rains over the western section of Luzon and the Visayas, even after the typhoon’s departure, according to Aurelio.

Helen is the fourth tropical cyclone to enter the country this month and the eighth cyclone this year.