Three areas remain under Signal No. 2 as Betty moves over the sea east of Batanes

Three areas remained under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 2  while six others were under TCWS No. 1 as Betty weakened over the sea east of Batanes early Tuesday morning, PAGASA said in its latest bulletin.

As of 4 a.m., the center of the eye of Typhoon Betty was estimated at 350 kilometers east of Basco, Batanes packing maximum sustained winds of 150 kilometers per hour (km/h) near the center, gustiness of up to 185 km/h, and central pressure of 955 hPa. Betty was moving north northwestward at 10 km/h.

There will be strong to typhoon-force winds extend outwards up to 630 km from the center, PAGASA said in its 5 a.m. bulletin.

Under TCWS No. 2 were the following areas:

LUZON

• Batanes
• northeastern portion of Cagayan (Santa Ana, Gonzaga)
• Babuyan Islands

TCWS No. 1, meanwhile, was raised over the following areas:

LUZON

• the rest of mainland Cagayan
• the northern and eastern portions of Isabela (Santo Tomas, Santa Maria, Quezon, San Mariano, Dinapigue, Delfin Albano, San Pablo, Ilagan City, Benito Soliven, Tumauini, Cabagan, Palanan, Quirino, Divilacan, Gamu, Maconacon, Naguilian, Mallig)
• the eastern portion of Ilocos Norte (Piddig, Bangui, Vintar, Marcos, Pagudpud, Banna, Adams, Carasi, Dingras, Solsona, Dumalneg, Nueva Era)
• Apayao
• the northern portion of Kalinga (City of Tabuk, Balbalan, Pinukpuk, Rizal)
• the northeastern portion of Abra (Tineg, Lacub, Malibcong)

Effects

According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), a total of 11,264 people or 2,859 families were affected by Typhoon Betty as of Tuesday morning.

In its 8 a.m. report, the NDRRMC said the affected individuals were reported in 55 barangays in Cagayan, Central Luzon, Western Visayas, and Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).

A total of 3,483 persons or 877 families were staying inside 21 evacuation centers, while 381 people or 112 families were taking shelter in other places.

In a radio interview on Monday, Batanes Governor Marilou Cayco said the province is dealing with power outages as delivery of fuel supply for electricity lines is delayed due to Typhoon Betty.

“Sa ngayon mayroon kaming brownout pero hindi dahil sa bagyo, dahil ito sa kawalan namin ng fuel,” she said in an interview over dzBB’s Super Radyo.

In Baler, Aurora, several residents lost their homes after a storm surge brought about by Betty devastated parts of the coastal town on Monday, according to Ian Cruz's report on "24 Oras" on Monday.

According to PAGASA, Batanes and Cagayan will be stormy due to the typhoon with possible flooding or landslides due to moderate to heavy to intense with at times torrential rains. There will be minor threat to moderate threat to lives and properties due to strong winds.

Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Isabela, and Aurora will have rains with gusty winds also due to Betty with possible flooding or landslides due to moderate to heavy with at times intense rains. It is expected that residents may have minimal to minor threat to lives and properties due to strong winds.

MIMAROPA, Western Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, rest of Ilocos Region, and rest of Cagayan Valley will have cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms due to the southwest monsoon and the typhoon with possible flash floods or landslides due to moderate to at times heavy rains.

Metro Manila and the rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms due to the southwest monsoon with possible flash floods or landslides occurring during severe thunderstorms.

Heavy Rainfall Outlook

Forecast accumulated rainfall from today to Wednesday early morning of 50-100 mm over the southern portions of Ilocos Sur and the northern portion of La Union.

Forecast accumulated rainfall from Wednesday early morning to Thursday early morning of 50-100 mm over Ilocos Sur and La Union.

The weather bureau said that under these conditions, flooding and rain-induced landslides are possible, especially in areas that are highly or very highly susceptible to these hazard as identified in hazard maps and in localities that experienced considerable amounts of rainfall for the past several days.

Severe Winds

Wind Signals in some areas of Luzon have been lifted while minor to moderate impacts caused by gale-force winds remain possible within the areas where Wind Signal No. 2 is hoisted.

Minimal to minor impacts from strong winds are also possible within any of the areas where Wind Signal No.1 is currently in effect as the enhanced Southwest Monsoon and outer periphery of the typhoon circulation will also bring occasional gusts in the next 24 hours over Bicol Region, Western Visayas, Aurora, Quezon, Mindoro Provinces, Marinduque, Romblon, Northern Samar, and the rest of Cordillera Administrative Region and Ilocos Norte that are not under any Wind Signal.

Hazards affecting coastal waters

Under the influence of Typhoon Betty and the enhanced Southwest Monsoon, a marine gale warning remains in effect over the seaboards of Northern Luzon, eastern seaboards of Central Luzon, the seaboards of Southern Luzon, and the seaboards of Visayas.

Track and Intensity outlook

Betty may accelerate slightly in the next 12 hours, it is forecast to generally move slowly between today and tomorrow as it turns more northward over the waters east of Batanes.

The typhoon will gradually accelerate north northeastward on Thursday and northeastward on Friday, bringing its center over the waters southeast of the Ryukyu Islands and may exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Friday.

Betty may be downgraded into a severe tropical storm on late Thursday or early Friday and into a tropical storm on late Friday or early Saturday.

However, PAGASA said, given the extent of the effect of dry air intrusion on the typhoon, a faster weakening rate within the forecast period is not ruled out.

Sunrise will be at 5:26 a.m., sunset at 6:21 p.m. -- BAP/KBK, GMA Integrated News