Typhoon Pedring (international name: Nesat) whipped through the main island of Luzon on Tuesday, bringing strong winds which toppled power lines and left millions of Filipinos without electricity. In a television interview, Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) spokesperson Dina Lomotan said that about 1.9 million households or 44 percent of the power company's service areas are currently experiencing power outages. Lomotan, however, could not say when electricity in these areas will be fully restored. In Valenzuela City, four people — including three children — were confirmed dead after Pedring’s strong winds caused a wall to collapse over a residential area, GMA News' John Consulta reported over GMA News TV’s “Balitanghali." Train lines in Metro Manila also suspended operations before Tuesday noon due to power fluctuations and the risk of flying debris hitting the mass transportation.
A woman wades in knee-deep flood near the corner of Taft and UN Avenues in Manila Tuesday afternoon, following heavy rain from Typhoon Pedring. GMA News
In its 11 a.m. bulletin, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical & Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) reported that “Pedring" had
slightly weakened after making landfall over the boundary of Aurora and Isabela provinces at dawn Tuesday. "Si Pedring ay nag-interact sa terrain ng Sierra Madre kaya bahagya po itong humina," PAGASA weather division chief Robert Sawi said at a press briefing. However, the typhoon still packs maximum strong winds of 120 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 150 kilometers per hour, he said. The typhoon is moving west northwest at 19 kilometers and is expected to leave the country by Wednesday afternoon, he added.
Floods Pedring’s strong winds also caused seawater from the Manila Bay to rush towards coast in a natural phenomenon called a "storm surge." The storm surge brought knee-deep floods to Roxas Boulevard, rendering the thoroughfare impassable. The flooding affected the United States Embassy building, which was forced to
suspend work early Tuesday. The US Embassy work will remain suspended until Wednesday. More than 100,000 people in Metro Manila, especially those in flood-prone areas such as Marikina and Manila, were also earlier forced to flee their homes due to flooding. Despite these, PAGASA said that only 121.4 millimeters of rainfall were recorded in Quezon City since Tuesday morning. This figure is not even half of the
341 millimeters dumped by Tropical Storm Ondoy over Metro Manila in 2009 during its first six hours.
Storm alerts PAGASA raised the following storm alerts in various provinces as of 11 a.m. Tuesday: Signal No.3 (100-185 kph winds)
Ilocos Norte Ilocos Sur Abra Kalinga Mt. Province Ifugao Benguet La Union Nueva Viscaya Pangasinan Signal No. 2 (60-100 kph winds) Apayao Cagayan Isabela Quirino Nueva Ecija Aurora Zambales Pampanga Tarlac Bulacan Bataan Metro Manila Signal No. 1 (45-60 kph winds) Babuyan and Calayan Group of Islands Northern Quezon including Polilio Island Rizal Laguna Batangas Lubang Island Cavite — with Rose-An Jessica Dioquino/YA/RSJ, GMA News 
GMA Brandtalk
Tracking
Archives
