Storm signals up by Maundy Thursday, Good Friday—forecaster

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The weather bureau may raise typhoon signals for approaching “destructive” typhoon “Maysak” on Maundy Thursday, a forecaster said Wednesday.

BACKSTORY: Supertyphoon threatens PH 

Forecaster Rene Paciente told radio dzMM that the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Admistration (Pagasa) may issue public storm signal no. 1 on Thursday or “24 to 36 hours” from Wednesday.

Paciente said Maysak, which will be called “Chedeng” when it enters the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) Wednesday night, was moving at 17 kilometers per hour (kph) and was expected to affect parts of the country by Thursday, owing to the storm’s 700-km diameter.

Pagasa said first to feel the effects of Chedeng would be the Bicol Region with light to moderate rain.

BACKSTORY: Typhoon Maysak set to enter PAR Wednesday

Subsequently, residents of Central and Northern Luzon, may expect heavy to intense rain on Good Friday up to Easter Sunday, the height of the Holy Week commemoration for many Filipinos.

Many Christians usually begin their Holy Week religious activities on Maundy Thursday by participating in the liturgy of the Washing of the Feet, which recalls Jesus Christ washing the feet of His apostles before the Last Supper.

This is usually followed by the Visita Iglesia where the faithful visit various churches in remembrance of the moving of Jesus from one place after His arrest for proclaiming that He was the Son of God.

On Good Friday, many participate in kilometric barefoot processions after listening to the Seven Last Words and the Veneration of the Cross.

Paciente said this was the first time in his more than 20 years with the Pagasa that a storm would hit the country during the Holy Week.

“Last year meron tayong bagyo, si Domeng, April 6 to 10. Ang Mahal na Araw April 13 to 17. Ngayon lang talaga natapat sa Mahal na Araw na may bagyo,” (Last year, we had a storm, it was Domeng, on April 6 to 10. The Holy Week was April 13 to 17. So this is the first time we have a storm during Holy Week) the forecaster said.

BACKSTORY: Storm ‘Domeng’ enters PAR, may turn into typhoon 

Chedeng is expected to make landfall on Easter Sunday somewhere between the provinces of Aurora and Isabela in Northeastern Luzon.

Pagasa said that as of 4 a.m., Wednesday, the typhoon was tracked at 1,410 km east of Surigao City. It was packing maximum sustained winds of 215 kph and gusts of up to 250 kph.

Paciente said the typhoon might weaken before making landfall but it “would still be destructive.” He asked the public to be vigilant and monitor developments about the storm. CB