Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Lando avoids Cebu on reentry, sighted near Puerto Princesa
TROPICAL storm Lando, which caught the weather bureau off-guard and hit Cebu last Nov. 19 before leaving the country a day after, reentered Philippine territory although it weakened as it moved closer to Palawan.
This time around, its effect was hardly felt here in Cebu.
Alex Padin of Pag-asa Mactan said that Lando was pulled back by Mina, which devastated Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, southern Luzon and Bicol before it weakened into a tropical storm yesterday afternoon.
Pag-asa Director Prisco Nilo, in a GMA 7 report, said Lando’s reentry was a result of a weather phenomenon called the “Fujiwara effect,” where a strong storm (Mina) influences the movement of a relatively weaker storm (Lando).
Lando reentered the country with a speed of 75 kilometers per hour at the center and with gustiness of 90 kilometers per hour.
It was spotted at about 340 kilometers west northwest of Puerto Princesa City, Palawan as of 4 p.m. yesterday. Mina, meanwhile, was sighted 100 kilometers north of Laoag City.
Because of Lando, signal number two was raised in Northern Palawan (including Calamian group of islands) and signal number one in Oriental Min-doro, Occidental Mindoro and Romblon, including Cuyo Island.
The storm is moving at 40 kilometers per hour towards Coron, Palawan and is forecast to reach the vicinity of Quezon tomorrow afternoon and Casiguran, Aurora by Thursday.
Padin said that it is possible that Lando and Mina (which will be in Basco, Batanes tomorrow afternoon) will meet at the South China Sea by Sunday.
Lando started off as a low pressure area when it first entered the country but caught Pag-asa by surprise when it picked up speed, transformed into a storm and passed Cebu before signal number one could be raised to signal number two.
The Office of Civil Defense 7 estimated damage to properties in Central Visayas when Lando first struck at P30 million, including infrastructure and road networks and farm crops.
A 10-year-old girl, Agnes Tabay, was swept away by the strong current of a river in Barangay Toong, Cebu City. Her body was found at the Inayawan dumpsite 20 kilometers away.
Lando also toppled the giant Christmas tree in Fuente Osmeña and some billboards, posts and trees in Cebu City and the province. (EOB)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (November 27, 2007 issue)
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