‘Karen’ now a typhoon, races to Northern Luzon
Filed under weather by Pangasinan Today on 19-08-2008
The weather bureau has raised the category of tropical storm “Karen” (international codename: Nuri) into a typhoon Tuesday as it neared Northern Luzon.
As of 4 a.m., the typhoon’s center was tracked at 600 kilometers east of Casiguran, Aurora, with maximum sustained winds of 120 kph and gustiness of up to 150 kph. It was moving west at 22 kph.
Karen was forecast to be 180 km southeast of Aparri, Cagayan by Wednesday morning and 200 km northwest of Laoag City by Thursday.
Public storm signal warning number 2 has been hoisted over the provinces of Isabela and Cagayan.
Storm signal no. 1, meanwhile, was raised in Aurora, Pollillo Island, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, Benguet, La Union, Ifugao, Mt. Province, Ilocos Sur, Kalinga, Abra, Ilocos Norte, Apayao, Batanes, Babuyan Group of Islands and Calayan Group of Islands.
The weather bureau said Karen is expected to enhance the southwest monsoon and bring rains over Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, especially the western sections.
It warned residents along coastal areas under storm signal no. 2 to be on alert against big waves and storm surges generated by this tropical cyclone.
