‘Helen’ is now a typhoon, moves toward Taiwan

MANILA, Philippines - Weather disturbance “Helen" (Kalmaegi) has intensified into a typhoon as it moves farther away from the Philippines where it left two people dead and more than 4,000 families affected in Luzon and Visayas. In its 5 p.m. advisory, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said typhoon “Helen" was located 310 kilometers north northeast of Basco, Batanes. "Helen" packed maximum sustained winds of 120 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 150 kph, and was moving north northwest at 17 kph. Only the province of Batanes was under public storm signal number 1. Typhoon “Helen" is expected to be at 490 km north of Basco, Batanes, or in the vicinity of Taipei, Taiwan, by Friday morning, and 190 km north northwest of Taipei, Taiwan, in the afternoon. Pagasa said typhoon “Helen" will continue to enhance the southwest monsoon and bring rains over the western sections of Luzon. The weather bureau advised residents in low lying areas and near mountain slopes to take all the necessary precautions against possible flashfloods and landslides. Earlier in the day, the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) reported that the death toll from "Helen" has risen to two. In its report as of 12 noon Thursday, the NDCC identified the fatalities as Jonathan Dulay Salmin, 20, and Alex Lacamento, 22. Salmin died when his truck fell off a ravine while Lacamento succumbed to snakebite, the report said. The NDCC said "Helen" had affected some 4,606 families or 19,150 people in 82 villages in nine towns and two cities in two provinces in Ilocos and Cagayan Valley. Damage to livestock and agriculture, so far, was pegged at P45,000. The NDCC remains in blue alert to monitor the track and development of "Helen" as it advised disaster coordinating councils in Central and Southern Luzon and in Central Visayas on the possible effects of the southwest monsoon enhanced by the weather disturbance. - Amita Legaspi, GMANews.TV