“NANDO” intensified into a super typhoon yesterday morning, a day before it was forecast to make landfall in Batanes or Babuyan Islands.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Nando, which became a super typhoon at 8 a.m., was some 410 km east of Aparri, Cagayan as of 7 p.m. yesterday. It was moving west northwestward at 15 kph, packing maximum sustained winds of 195 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 240 kph.
Malacañang suspended work today in government offices and classes at all levels in Metro Manila and 30 provinces in view of heavy rainfall expected from Nando and the southwest monsoon.
Covered by the suspension, based on Memorandum Circular 97 issued by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, are the provinces of Abra, Antique, Apayao, Bataan, Batanes, Batangas, Benguet, Bulacan, Cagayan, Cavite, Ifugao, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Isabela, Kalinga, La Union, Laguna, Mountain Province, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Palawan, Romblon, Rizal, Tarlac and Zambales
Agencies responsible for basic, vital and health services, preparedness and response duties are exempted from the suspension.
The suspension of work in private companies and offices is left to the discretion of their respective heads.
PAGASA, in a bulletin issued at 8 p.m. yesterday, said three areas were under wind Signal No. 3. These are Batanes, Babuyan Islands, and the northeastern portion of mainland Cagayan.
Eight areas were placed under Signal No. 2 — the rest of mainland Cagayan, northern and eastern portions of Isabela, Apayao, Abra, Kalinga, eastern portion of Mountain Province, Ilocos Norte, and the northern portion of Ilocos Sur.
Sixteen areas were under Signal No. 1. These are rest of Isabela, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, rest of Mountain Province, Ifugao, Benguet, rest of Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, northern and central portions of Zambales, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Aurora, northern portion of Pampanga, northern portion of Bulacan, and the northern portion of Quezon including Polillo Islands.
“There is a high risk of life-threatening storm surge with peak heights exceeding 3.0 m within the next 36 hours over the low-lying or exposed coastal localities of Batanes, Cagayan including Babuyan Islands, Ilocos Norte, and Ilocos Sur,” PAGASA said.
“On the forecast track, the center of Nando may pass close or may make landfall over Batanes or Babuyan Islands by tomorrow (Monday) afternoon or evening,” it added. – With Jocelyn Reyes
PAGASA said Nando may exit the Philippine area of responsibility on Tuesday morning.
Interior Secretary Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla ordered concerned local government units to evacuate residents from “danger zones.”
Batanes Gov. Ronald Aguto Jr said food packs have been prepositioned for distribution to his constituents and first responders have been placed on alert.
He also said the people of Batanes “know what to do in times like this because we are not really foreign to this kind of situation.”
Aguto said there are some 70 tourists in Batanes as of yesterday, and they are all accounted for.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) has declared a red alert to ensure preparedness to respond to the effects of Nando, said the Office of Civil Defense, the NDRRMC’s implementing arm.
