Pilandok intensifies into tropical storm

MANILA, Philippines — Pilandok has intensified into a tropical storm, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration reported.

Based on the latest weather satellite at 4 p.m. yesterday, Pilandok was located 1,015 kilometers east of extreme Northern Luzon. It was packing winds of 65 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 80 kph while moving northwestward at 10 kph.

Pilandok is expected to remain over the northern Philippine Sea before approaching Okinawa, Japan. It is expected to exit the Philippine area of responsibility later today or early tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Obet was located 685 kilometers west of Calayan, Cagayan, with winds of 65 kph and gusts of up to 80 kph while moving east-northeastward at 30 kph.

Another low-pressure area was tracked 3,010 kilometers east of southeastern Luzon, moving northwestward at 15 kph. It has a medium chance of developing into a tropical cyclone within the next 24 hours.

The weather bureau said occasional rains would be experienced in Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Batanes and Zambales due to the monsoon.

Cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms are, meanwhile, expected in Metro Manila, the Cordillera Administrative Region, the rest of the Ilocos Region, the rest of Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Cavite, Batangas, Rizal, Occidental Mindoro, Aklan and Antique.

Yellow rainfall warnings, indicating 50 to 100 millimeters of rain, were raised over Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Abra, La Union, Benguet, Pangasinan, Zambales, Bataan and Occidental Mindoro from yesterday afternoon to this afternoon.

From this afternoon to Friday afternoon, an orange rainfall warning, indicating 100 to 200 mm of rain, was raised over Occidental Mindoro while yellow warnings were issued for Zambales, Bataan, Pampanga, Cavite, Batangas, Oriental Mindoro and Antique.

Disruptions

Due to the anticipated continued heavy rainfall and flooding, the Department of Foreign Affairs suspended yesterday the operations of its consular offices in Pampanga and Olongapo.

Affected applicants will be accommodated within 30 days from their original appointment date, while consular operations will resume upon further advice from the local government units with jurisdiction over the offices.

Applicants needing emergency or urgent consular services may contact the DFA Consular Offices through [email protected] and [email protected].

Sea travel was similarly disrupted. The Philippine Ports Authority said certain sea trips were canceled yesterday due to rains brought by the monsoon and tropical storm Pilandok.

In Masbate, all fastcraft operated by Montenegro Shipping Lines Inc. between Masbate City and Pilar, Sorsogon were canceled.

The MV Island Biri also canceled its 3 p.m. trip from Puerto Galera to Batangas, while Ocean Fast Ferries Inc. canceled its Maasin-Surigao trip and vice versa.

On land, floodwaters paralyzed major thoroughfares.

Motorists had been stranded for hours along the North Luzon Expressway in San Simon, Pampanga since Friday due to heavy rains, with hundreds of vehicles still stuck along the expressway as of Monday.

Cars were directed to the innermost lane while trucks and buses were allowed to use the second lane to ease traffic.

Philippine National Police chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. ordered the deployment of more than 2,207 police officers to assist stranded motorists.

“Motorists are usually left on their own in dealing with flooded roads. We do not want that to happen. There should be police presence in areas where they are needed,” Nartatez said.

At least 12,459 personnel from reactionary standby support forces were also on standby for deployment.

In terms of infrastructure, the Department of Health reported that the damage to health facilities from the combined effects of recent tropical cyclones and the southwest monsoon had reached more than P54 million. — Rhodina Villanueva, Emmanuel Tupas, Pia Lee-Brago, Bella Cariaso