Dodong out of Luzon island, now over Batanes

(Updated 9:43 a.m.) Typhoon Dodong (Noul) exited the Luzon mainland early Monday, according to state weather agency PAGASA, but not before leaving two people dead in its wake.

As of 8 a.m., PAGASA said Dodong was estimated to be over Basco, Batanes.

 

Dodong, which weakened after making landfall Sunday, packed maximum sustained winds of 160 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 195 kph, and is forecast to move north at 19 kph, PAGASA said in its 5 a.m. update earlier.

 

By Tuesday morning, it projected Dodong to be 455 km north-northeast of Basco, Batanes. By Wednesday morning, Dodong is expected to be 1,230 km northeast of Basco, Batanes and outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).

Remaining storm signals

Dodong's departure from the Philippines will nevertheless still bring heavy rain to parts of Northern Luzon, hence storm signals were raised in these areas.

As of 5 a.m., Storm Signal no. 3 was hoisted over Batanes and the Babuyan and Calayan group of islands. Storm Signal no. 2 was raised over Northern Cagayan, and Storm Signal no. 1 was raised over the rest of Cagayan, Apayao, and Ilocos Norte.

 

PAGASA said stormy weather with rough to very rough seas may be expected over Batanes, Calayan and Babuyan islands while Cagayan, Apayao and Ilocos Norte will have rain with gusty winds.

 

Cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and thunderstorms will be experienced over the rest of Northern Luzon, it added.

 

Metro Manila and the rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.

Fatalities, blocked roads reported

Two residents from Aparri, Cagayan died of electrocution as Dodong passed through northeastern Luzon on Sunday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said.

Fallen trees and power cables blocked roads in parts of Cagayan, affecting motorists in areas such as Sta. Ana where Dodong made landfall.

"The typhoon has moved away, but our problem so far is how to fix what was destroyed. The small houses of our poor townmates in coastal areas were badly hit," Darwin Tobias, mayor of Santa Ana town in Cagayan, said in a radio interview, Reuters reported.