Storm signal no. 1 hoisted over 9 Luzon areas

MANILA -- Nine areas in Luzon are now under public storm warning as Tropical Storm "Helen" (international name: Kai-Tak) maintained its strength, threatening the country’s northern part.

Placed under storm signal number 1 are the provinces of Quirino, Aurora, Isabela, Kalinga, Apayao, Cagayan, including the Babuyan group of islands, Calayan group of islands, and the Batanes group of islands, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said in its 5 p.m. Monday bulletin.

Residents living in these areas are alerted against possible flashfloods and landslides.

As of 4 p.m. Monday, Helen was located 430 kilometers (kms) east of Casiguran, Aurora. It has a maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometer per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 80 kph, the Pagasa said.

Helen, which moves west northwest at 13 kph, is expected to be 210 kms east of Tuguegarao, Cagayan by Tueday afternoon and 80 kms south southwest of Basco, Batanes by Wednesday afternoon, the Pagasa added.

Intermittent light to moderate rains (2.5-7.5 millimeters per hour) are now affecting central and southern Luzon and becomes more frequent moderate to heavy rains (7.5-10.0 mm/hr) on Monday night over the provinces of Camarines, Quezon, Rizal, Bulacan, Pampanga, Laguna, Cavite, Batangas, Mindoro, Bataan, Zambales and Metro Manila.

Helen is dumping more rains in the flood-battered Luzon areas a week after nearly 100 people died in a monsoon deluge that submerged half of the country’s capital.

Rescuers evacuated on Monday flood-prone areas in the National Capital Region's suburban Quezon City, and Rosario town in Cavite province southwest of Manila closed schools because of downpours.

More than 400,000 people fled their homes last week when floods swamped Manila and nearby provinces. (AP/Sunnex)