MANILA (Updated) - Typhoon Ompong (international name: Vongfong) has changed its course and is now moving northwest over the Philippine sea.
In its 11 p.m. weather bulletin Wednesday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said the eye of Typhoon Ompong was located at 957 kilometers (km) east of Aparri, Cagayan.
Typhoon Ompong has become this year's strongest tropical cyclone but it will spare the Philippines, weather forecasters said.
It has maximum sustained winds of 215 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 250 kph. It is forecast to move northwest at 9 kph.
By Saturday evening it is expected to be at 1,113 km northeast of Itbayat, Batanes or outside the Philippine area of responsibility.
Its estimated rainfall amount is from 7.5 – 25 mm per hour (heavy – intense) within the 700 km diameter of the typhoon.
Ompong is too far to affect any part of the country. However, it is enhancing the northeasterly winds resulting in rough to very rough sea conditions over the northern and western seaboards of Northern Luzon and the eastern seaboard of Luzon and Visayas.
Fisherfolks and those using small seacrafts are advised not to venture out over the said seaboards.
The public and the disaster risk reduction and management council concerned are advised to take appropriate actions and watch for the next bulletin to be issued at 11 a.m. Thursday.
Ompong is the strongest storm on earth since Super Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) last year, the Weather Channel earlier reported. (Sunnex)