No landfall for Typhoon Butchoy but creating big waves

Tropical Cyclone Butchoy (Guchol) intensified into a typhoon before noon Saturday and continued to move north-northwest, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said.

But PAGASA said no storm signals have been raised so far, even as its projections indicate Butchoy is still not likely to make landfall in the Philippines.

Its projection of the path of Butchoy indicated it will not make landfall.

PAGASA defines a typhoon as an intense tropical cyclone with maximum wind speed exceeding 118 kph.

In its 11 a.m. advisory, it said that as of 10 a.m., Butchoy was estimated at 470 km east-northeast of Borongan, Eastern Samar, with maximum winds of 120 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 150 kph.

PAGASA said Butchoy is expected to be 590 km east-southeast of Casiguran, Aurora by Sunday morning and 500 km east-southeast of Basco, Batanes Monday morning.

By Tuesday morning it is expected to be 690 km northeast of Basco, Batanes.

 Flash floods, landslides

While PAGASA said no storm signals have been raised, it warned Butchoy will still enhance the southwest monsoon that will bring rain over Luzon and Visayas, especially over the western section which may trigger flash floods and landslides.

It estimated Butchoy to bring rainfall of 15 to 25 mm per hour (heavy) within its 500-km diameter.

"Fishing boats and other small sea crafts are advised not to venture out into the seaboards of Luzon, Visayas and Eastern Mindanao due to the big waves generated by the combined effects of Typhoon 'Butchoy' and the southwest monsoon," it said.

In Malacañang, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte appealed to the public to cooperate with authorities in taking precautions.

Valte said the Department of Public Works and Highways had prepositioned heavy equipment in roads likely to be affected by floods or slides, while the Department of Social Welfare and Development had pre-positioned relief items.

The Department of Health has also pre-positioned quick response teams and medicines, she added.

“(Let’s cooperate with authorities) para maiwasan natin ang makaharap ang isang sakuna dahil nagkaroon na tayo ng warning (Let’s cooperate with authorities to prevent something untoward; we already have a warning from authorities),” she said on government-run dzRB radio. — LBG/HS, GMA News


source: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/262140/news/nation/no-landfall-for-typhoon-butchoy-but-creating-big-waves