THE provincial disaster division of Negros Occidental has advised the public to closely monitor the weather condition starting Wednesday as typhoon Manghkut, which is potentially reported to be a super typhoon, enhances the southwest monsoon which may bring continuous rains and thunderstorms.
While Typhoon Manghkut, or Ompong when it enters the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), is still in Marianas Island, it already has maximum sustained winds of 150 kilometers per hour (kph) with a gustiness of 185 kph he said.
Zephard Caelian, head of the Negros Occidental Provincial Disaster Management Program Division (PDMPD), said meteorological agencies, monitored a height temperature with an average of 27 degrees centigrade that is why they see that Manghkut could strengthen and has the potential to be Super Typhoon which maximum winds could reach up to 220 kph.
"We would like to remind the public and our Municipal and City Risk Reduction Management Councils to take appropriate precautionary measures and closely monitor the situation especially those living near the waterways and flood-prone areas," Caelian said.
"As what Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. always reminds us, let us pray and prepare that our province will be spared of damages in times of calamities and disasters," he added.
He said that everyone has to be aware and prepare that once there are a typhoon and heavy rains, they should always prepare against flashfloods and landslides.
Hoax
Meanwhile, state weather bureau Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) issued a statement on Monday following the false information about “super typhoon Neneng.”
In the advisory, the weather bureau stressed: “information circulating on social media and SMS regarding Super Typhoon Neneng is not coming from Pagasa.”
It advised the public to check their official websites, bagong.pagasa.dost.gov.ph and www.pagasa.dost.gov.ph, for the latest weather bulletin.