Typhoon Santi slightly veers south, M. Manila still threatened
Typhoon Santi, which was earlier forecast to directly hit Metro Manila and four other provinces in southern Luzon, veered slightly southward on Friday night in the direction of Bicol and Southern Tagalog regions on Saturday even as Metro Manila remains threatened.
According to the 10:45 p.m. weather bulletin by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), Santi was last spotted 30 kms north of Daet, Camarines Norte, moving west southwest at 20 kph.
Asked if Metro Manila remained along Santi's path, Pagasa administrator Dr. Prisco Nilo said that although there was still that possibility, the more likely scenario is that the center of typhoon Santi would pass south of Manila.
Although the state weather bureau expects Santi’s center winds to spare Metro Manila, foreign weather agencies tracking Santi (international name: Mirinae), such as the Japan Meteorological Agency and the US Navy Joint Typhoon Warning Center, forecast the typhoon’s center to still directly pass over the National Capital Region on Saturday morning.
Santi maintained its strength, packing maximum sustained winds of 150 kph near the center, with gustiness of up to 185 kph.
Storm Signal No. 3 was hoisted over the National Capital Region and 14 other areas in Luzon, including Quezon, Polilio Island, Bulacan, Bataan, Rizal, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Lubang Island, Marinduque, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur and Catanduanes.
Under Signal No. 2 are the provinces of Aurora, Quirino, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Pampanga, Zambales, Albay, Romblon and the islands of Calamian and Burias.
Signal No. 1 is hoisted over Isabela, Ifugao, Nueva Vizcaya, Benguet, La Union, Pangasinan, Sorsogon, Masbate, Ticao Island and Northern Palawan.
Santi is forecast to be 260 kms south of Metro Manila by Saturday evening.
The typhoon is also forecast to leave the country on Sunday, November 1, giving Filipinos hope that they can still troop safely to cemeteries to commemorate All Saints’ Day.
http://www.gmanews.tv/largevideo/home/50104/saksi-update-on-typhoon-santi
