Typhoon Mirinae, 4th typhoon to hit Northern Luzon

4th storm threatens central and northern Luzon

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MANILA – Another potential powerful typhoon is heading towards northern and central Luzon area, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Wednesday.

Nathaniel Cruz, PAGASA’s weather bureau chief, said the storm with an international name Mirinae may enter the Philippine area of responsibility by late Wednesday night or early morning Thursday.

PAGASA’s website said the storm was still over the Pacific Ocean, 1,640 kilometers east of northern Luzon packed with maximum sustained winds of 85 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 100 kph. It was moving west northwest at 28 kph.

“We expect the storm to enter the Philippine area of responsibility late tonight or tomorrow morning, if there will be no change in its present course,” Cruz told ANC television.

He said the storm, which has the makings of a strong typhoon, as strong as tropical cyclones Ramil and Pepeng, may make landfall in the Aurora-Isabela area.

Cruz said the two provinces and other areas in northern and central Luzon may feel the effects of Marinae in two days.

Mirinae, which will be named Santi as soon as it enters Philippine territory, is the 4th tropical cyclone to enter the country since tropical storm Ondoy.

Ondoy brought a months-worth of rain, flooding a large part of Metro Manila.

The government’s disaster response agency has counted at least 900 people killed by storms Ondoy and Ramil. Billions worth of property and agriculture products were also damaged by the storms.

SOURCE: ABS-CBN NEWS Online, 4th-storm-threatens-central-and-northern-luzon