Typhoon “Ompong” further intensified as it entered the Philippine area of responsibility on Wednesday afternoon, growing in diameter from 600 kilometers on Tuesday to 900 km and prompting more areas to take precautionary measures. At 4 p.m. on Wednesday, the typhoon was tracked at 1,145 km east of Virac, Catanduanes province, moving westward at 20 kph. LandfallOmpong is expected to make landfall in northern Cagayan province or the Batanes group of islands on Saturday, but it will bring stormy weather to most of Luzon as early as Friday, according to weather specialist Gener Quitlong. Among regions where preparations have begun are Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Cordillera Administrative Region, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol and Caraga. Renato Solidum, undersecretary for disaster risk reduction and climate, urged residents in areas lying along the projected path of Ompong to take safety precautions.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer September 12, 2018 21:51 UTC