Pagasa: ‘Ompong’ weakens, will exit PAR on Saturday evening

Updated @ 6:49 p.m., Sept. 15, 2018

Typhoon “Ompong” (International name: Mangkhut) has weakened by Saturday and is expected to leave the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) by evening, the state weather bureau said in a press conference.

Philippine Atmospheric. Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) Assistant Weather Services Chief Rene Paciente said Ompong was last spotted 30 kilometers west of Laoag City.

It has weakened since it made landfall at 1:40 a.m. Saturday with maximum sustained winds of 170 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of 260 kph.

As of 4 p.m., the typhoon was moving at 25 kph west-northwest of Laoag City with maximum sustained winds of 160 kph with a gustiness reaching up to 195 kph, Ariel Rojas, Pagasa weather specialist, said in a press briefing on Saturday.

The weather bureau said that, while “Ompong” will exit PAR Saturday evening, its outer spiral will still affect the country.  /muf /atm