2 areas remain under Signal No. 1 as Bising moves away from Luzon

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal no. 1 remained hoisted over Batanes and the northeastern portion of Cagayan on Thursday morning as Typhoon Bising maintained its strength while moving north-northeastward east of Batanes.

In its 11 a.m. bulletin, PAGASA said winds of 30 to 60 km/h will prevail or are expected in 36 hours over the affected areas, including Santa Ana and Gonzaga in Cagayan, and Babuyan Islands.

TCWS No. 1 was meanwhile lifted in Isabela and other areas of Cagayan.

Based on the forecast track, Bising will move generally northeastward on Thursday away from the landmass of Luzon before turning east northeastward on Friday and generally eastward on Saturday.

Bising is forecast to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Saturday evening or early Sunday morning.

PAGASA said Bising will gradually weaken throughout the remainder of the forecast period and may be downgraded to severe tropical storm category by Friday and tropical storm category by Saturday before transitioning into an extratropical cyclone outside PAR on Monday.

As of 10 a.m., the eye of Typhoon Bising was located based on all available data at 375 km east northeast of Calayan, Cagayan or 320 km east of Basco, Batanes.

It has maximum sustained winds of 150 km/h near the center and gustiness of up to 185 km/h, and is moving north northeastward at 10 km/h.

Effects

Casualties

According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), three people have been reported killed while one was missing due to Bising.

A total of 229,829 people or 59,098 were affected by the typhoon in Bicol, Eastern Visayas, and Caraga regions, while a total of 1,022 houses were damaged -- 84 totally and 938 partially — in the same regions.

Typhon Bising also destroyed infrastructures worth over P10.5 million and nearly P46 million worth of damage in agriculture in Bicol and Eastern Visayas.

The Department of Agriculture, meanwhile, reported that Typhoon Bising brought at least P45.93 million worth of damage to the crops sector.

Citing initial reports, the DA said Bising affected 765 farmers with 1,599 hectares of agricultural areas and volume of production loss at 3,009 metric tons in the Bicol Region and Eastern Visayas.

Forecast

PAGASA said in the next 24 hours, the northeasterly wind flow enhanced by Bising is expected to bring strong breeze to near gale conditions with higher gusts over the coastal and mountainous areas of Ilocos Region, Apayao, Abra, and the western portion of Cagayan, or those not under TCWS no. 1.

Due to the influence of Typhoon Bising and an enhanced northeasterly wind flow, the following sea conditions will be experienced over the coastal waters in the next 24 hours:

• Rough to high seas over the northern and eastern seaboards of Northern Luzon (2.5 to 8.0 m). Sea travel will be risky for all types of seacraft.
• Rough to very rough seas over the seaboard of Aurora, the seaboards of extreme northern Quezon including the northern and eastern seaboards of Polillo Islands, and the northern seaboards of Bicol Region (2.5 to 4.5 m). Sea travel will be risky for small seacraft, and mariners without the proper experience should immediately seek safe harbor.
• Moderate to rough seas over the eastern seaboard of Bicol Region, northern and eastern seaboard of Northern Samar and the western seaboard of Northern and Central Luzon (1.5 to 3.0 m). Mariners of small seacraft are advised not to venture out over the said waters, while inexperienced mariners should avoid their navigation.

—KBK, GMA News