Siony intensifies slightly as it moves over Philippine Sea

MANILA, Philippines — Tropical Storm Siony (international name Atsani) slightly intensified as it moved slowly over the Philippine Sea yesterday.

Siony is likely to make landfall over the Batanes-Babuyan Islands area tomorrow afternoon or Friday morning, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said.

As of 3 p.m. yesterday, the center of Siony was at 620 kilometers east of Basco, Batanes, packing winds of 85 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 105 kph.

The storm was predicted to move east northeast slowly.

PAGASA senior weather forecaster Chris Perez said Siony is likely to start moving west tomorrow afternoon toward extreme Northern Luzon.

Perez said PAGASA is not ruling out the possibility that Siony could intensify into a typhoon before hitting landmass.

He urged residents of Cagayan Valley and the rest of Northern Luzon to prepare for Siony.

“Based on the area of probability, it could move more to the north or south, so it’s not just Batanes and Babuyan Islands that should prepare, but also Cagayan Valley and the rest of Northern Luzon,” he said.

PAGASA warned residents of Apayao, Batanes, Cagayan and Isabela against possible flooding, flashfloods and rain-induced landslides as the combined effects of the northeasterlies and the trough of Siony would continue to bring light to moderate to at times heavy rains over these areas.

The combined effects of Tropical Storms Rolly and Siony and the enhanced northeasterlies will also bring rough to very rough seas with waves expected as high as 4.5 meters over the seaboards of Northern Luzon, it said.

Ready for Siony

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has started preparing for Typhoon Siony, even as its quick-response teams are simultaneously clearing roads that have been blocked by landslides triggered by recent Typhoons Rolly, Quinta and Pepito.

“These teams are also trimming trees along national roads to minimize fallen debris during typhoons and expedite road opening,” DPWH Secretary Mark Villar said yesterday.

Up to 23 national road sections rendered impassable by Rolly and Quinta remain closed to traffic and are undergoing clearing by the DPWH.

Villar said 14 road sections are closed due to Rolly, nine of which are in Bicol, three in the Cordilleras and one each in Central Luzon and Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon).

Nine others remain closed following the onslaught of Quinta.

“Rolly and Quinta have triggered a series of landslides, felled trees and power posts, floods and cut roads from the main highways. Our quick response teams have so far cleared and opened 12 of these sections and are working continuously, particularly in Bicol,” Villar said.

Meanwhile, almost 700 police personnel were deployed for response operations in Central Luzon as several barangays remain flooded and road networks impassable as of noon yesterday.

Up to 70 barangays in Bulacan and Pampanga remain under floodwaters while nine major roads in Pampanga and Aurora are still not accessible to vehicles, according to Brig. Gen. Valeriano de Leon, Central Luzon police director. – Rainier Allan Ronda, Ramon Efren Lazaro