The Low Pressure Area (LPA) east of Luzon has developed into a Tropical Depression and was named Julian. PAGASA issued a Severe Weather Bulletin this morning enclosing the strength and movement of the said tropical cyclone. At 4AM today, the center of TD Julian was located at 720km east of Calayan, Cagayan with maximum sustained winds of up to 45kph and gustiness of up to 55kph near the center. Estimated amount of rainfall is from moderate to occasionally heavy within the 300km diameter. It is also forecast to move west northwest at 25kph.
Tropical cyclone warning signal number one is raised over the provinces of Apayao, Batanes, northern Cagayan including Babuyan Group of Islands, and Ilocos Norte.
Due to the imminent threats brought about by TD Julia, the operations center of the Office of Civil Defense Cordillera (OCD-CAR) hoisted its alert level status to red effective 8AM of October 5, 2016. The Cordillera Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CRDRRMC) directs all Local DRRMCs to take appropriate and proactive actions.
“We have activated our early warning system for massive information dissemination of weather bulletins and preparedness advisories through our text blast system and social media accounts” said OCD CAR Dir Andrew Alex Uy. Likewise, OCD Cordillera intensified coordination with member agencies of CRDRRMC.
Based on the updated tropical cyclone classification, the impact of signal number one is expected in 36 hours and may possibly bring very light or no damage to low risk structure and light damage to medium to high risk structures.
By Frances Ivy Carasi
