(Update) ‘Milenyo’ intensifies into typhoon

Tropical storm "Milenyo" (international codename: Xangsane) has intensified into a typhoon and made landfall over the east coast of Northern Samar, state weather forecasters said Wednesday. As of 10 a.m., Milenyo was located 60 km east of Catarman, Northern Samar packing maximum sustained winds of 120 kph near its center and gustiness of up to 150 kph. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) has raised public storm signal number 3 in the provinces of Sorsogon, Catanduanes, Camarines Sur, Masbate, Albay, Ticao Islands, Burias Islands and the Samar provinces. Areas under public storm signal number 2 are Camarines Norte, Southern Quezon, Leyte and Biliran Island while areas under public storm signal number 1 are the rest of Quezon province, Polillo Island, the provinces of Rizal, Laguna, Batangas, Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Southern Leyte, Camotes Island, Northern Cebu, Aklan, Capiz, Dinagat Islands and Siargao Islands. Pagasa advised residents living in low-lying and mountainous areas under public storm warning signals are alerted against flashfloods and landslides, respectively, while those living in coastal areas under storm signals 2 and 3 are advised to seek higher grounds due to possible storm surge. In a related development, the number of passengers and vehicles stranded because of tropical storm Milenyo has bloated to almost 2,500 as of Wednesday morning. Radio station dzBB quoted Coast Guard Commandant Vice Admiral Arthur Gosingan as saying there were 2,446 passengers stranded in ports in Bicol and Eastern Visayas. Also stranded were 70 trucks in ports in Tabaco, Virac, Matnog and Masbate, along with 46 small vehicles, and 43 passenger buses. Some 12 vessels were blocked from leaving ports in areas hit by Storm Signals 1 to 3. GMANews.TV