4 areas placed under Signal No. 1 as ‘Juan’ moves closer to RP

The state weather bureau on late Saturday evening placed four areas of Northern Luzon under public storm warning signal number 1 as typhoon “Juan" steadily moved closer to the country. In its 11 p.m. weather bulletin, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said that signal no. 1 has been hoisted over the provinces of Cagayan and Isabela, as well as the Calayan and Babuyan groups of islands, which are administratively part of Cagayan. PAGASA likewise said that Juan (international codename “Megi") was last spotted 770 kilometers east of Aparri, Cagayan. The typhoon retained its 140-kph winds and gustiness up to 170 kph, it added. Typhoon Juan—the tenth weather disturbance to enter the country this year—is moving westward at 24 kph, and is expected to be 260 kilometers east of Aparri, Cagayan by Sunday night, according to PAGASA. The state weather bureau earlier said that the typhoon may hit provinces in northeast Luzon by Monday morning, and may bring between 200 and 300 millimeters of rainfall per hour in areas directly affected. (See: Typhoon Juan picks up speed, may hit land Monday morning) Residents in low-lying and mountainous areas placed under signal no. 1 must prepare for possible flashfloods and landslides, PAGASA said. Local disaster coordinating councils with storm signal warnings were also advised to take appropriate actions and wait for the next weather bulletin to be released at 5 a.m. Sunday, aside from the hourly weather updates issued by PAGASA.—Andreo C. Calonzo/JV, GMANews.TV