The Philippine Online Chronicles

Typhoon Basyang (international code: Conson) battered Metro Manila, contrary to forecasts by PAGASA yesterday that the typhoon will make landfall in Eastern and Central Luzon.

The agency got a scolding from President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III due to its erroneous forecasting.“Your information is sorely lacking. I hope this is the last time,” Aquino told the weather bureau during PAGASA’s briefing this morning.

PAGASA’s weather bulletins stated yesterday that Basyang will make landfall in Casiguran, Aurora but as of 11:00 p.m. last night, the typhoon hit Metro Manila and several provinces in Southern Luzon including Laguna and Cavite, at a recorded wind speed of 95 kilometers per hour. PAGASA issued a weather bulletin and raised typhoon signals but it was too late to warn the public.

The weather agency said it needs at least P1.8 million to upgrade its communications equipment for more accurate forecasting particularly the purchase of additional Doppler radars. PAGASA has two radars - one in Baler, Quezon and another in Baguio City. "But the Baler radar has a blind spot to the east because of the Sierra Madre mountains while the Baguio radar cannot cover Metro Manila. This means PAGASA is only making do with the information from these radars and from old radars," Inquirer.net reported.

As of 5:22 p.m. today, typhoon Basyang has left at least 20 people dead and more than 3,000 people stranded, Manila Bulletin online reported. Hundreds were left homeless in coastal areas. There were also flash floods and landslides in several towns in affected provinces.

According to the National Disaster and Coordinating Council, 57 people are still missing, mostly fishermen in the Bicol area.

Powerless, stranded

Basyang left most of the National Capital Region and some parts of Luzon powerless as the storm damaged transmission and distribution lines of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP). By 2:00 a.m., NGCP declared a Luzon-wide system blackout.

Most of Manila Electric Company’s (Meralco) franchise areas were affected including Metro Manila, Rizal, Quezon, Batangas, Cavite and Laguna. Based on its power situation report, NGCP said the "restoration of the Luzon power system is ongoing” and almost a hundred linemen have been deployed to immediately patrol and repair transmission facilities damaged by the typhoon.

But it might take a while before power supply returns to normal. “Restoring the damaged facilities would take about three to four days while power in Metro Manila is expected to normalize within one to two days.”  “We cannot fully restore the load of Metro Manila but we are trying our best,” an NGCP official said in a GMA News report.

Operation of the MRT and LRT was also shut down due to the power outage. Thousands of commuters were left stranded. Even if power were restored, LRTA head Melquiadas Robles said they will have to check the LRT lines for debris such as galvanized iron sheets, according to Yahoo News.

Domestic and international flights were also cancelled due to the bad weather condition. The Philippine Coast Guard meanwhile reported that 3,135 passengers were stranded at the North and South Harbor.

Based on PAGASA’s 5:00 p.m. weather bulletin today, Basyang is located at 180 kilometers west of Iba, Zambales. It has maximum sustained winds of 85 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 100 kph. It is moving northweast at 19 kph, and is expected to pass 480 kilometers west of Laoag City by Thursday afternoon.

---

Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites