‘Reming’ downgraded to typhoon

Super typhoon "Reming" was downgraded to typhoon after slamming into the mountainous areas in the Bicol region, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services (Pagasa) announced Thursday late night. "The worst is over for Bicol and Eastern Visayas [regions]," weather forecaster Nathaniel Cruz told reporters during a presss conference aired live over radio dzBB. Cruz said as of 10 p.m. Reming weakened from 190 kilometers per hour to 160 kph after it passed the Bondoc Peninsula, but warned relieved Manila residents to still brace for potentially destructive winds as the typhoon has picked up speed from 15 kph to 17 kph. He said typhoon warnings over Bicol region, Zambales, Tarlac, Pampanga, Bulacan and Aurora provinces were lowered to Signal No. 1. Signal No. 3 was hoisted over Cavite, Laguna, Batangas and Lubang Island while Metro Manila and Rizal remained under Signal No. 2. Around 8 p.m., Reming was moving toward southern Quezon province and it is plotted to be over Marinduque early Friday morning. At around noon, the typhoon is forecast over Mindoro and Batangas. Power outages hit more areas in Southern Luzon and Bicol as super typhoon "Reming" continued its rampage in the two regions Thursday evening. The National Disaster Coordinating Council said that as of 6 p.m., transmission lines were damaged in Albay, Sorsogon, Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur in Bicol; and Quezon in Southern Luzon. It also said that as of 6 p.m., 166 families or 847 people were evacuated in Legazpi City, Albay, Libmanan, Camarines Sur and Virac, Catanduanes. Some 3,920 passengers, 189 trucks, 27 small vehicles, 62 passenger buses and 13 vessels were left stranded in various ports of Southern Luzon, Bicol and Eastern Visayas. There are stranded persons in Peñaranda village and Bunot village in Legazpi City due to overflowing of the Yawa River, it added. The Office of the Civil Defense reported flooding in several areas in Legazpi City. An undetermined number of houses were destroyed in Camarines Sur, whose capitol offices was also damaged. Even the OCD Bicol Regional Office in Camp Ola, Legazpi City was damaged when strong winds ripped some of its windows. -GMANews.TV