Typhoon ‘Chedeng’ dissipates as Philippines celebrates Easter

Members of Holy Trinity Parish in Cainta, Rizal, wait for the ‘Salubong’ procession to start before dawn Easter Sunday, April 5, 2015, in Village East Executive Homes. Rizal was one of the provinces expected to be hit by typhoon Chedeng before it was downgraded by Pagasa to a tropical depression early Sunday. CENON B. BIBE JR./INQUIRER.NET

TYPHOON “Chedeng,” which was feared to disrupt Holy Week and Easter commemoration and cause destruction in the Philippines, has weakened into a tropical depression as the country’s Christians celebrated the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

BACKSTORY: Supertyphoon threatens PH

While parts of the country will experience rain and cloudy skies, all public storm signal warnings may be removed as Chedeng was seen to turn into a low pressure area (LPA) by Monday morning, said the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).

In its 5 a.m. bulletin Pagasa said Chedeng, which was expected to make landfall in the Aurora-Isabela area on Easter morning, weakened into a tropical depression before its could hit land 95 km east of Casiguran, Aurora.

Its winds had weakened to 55 kilometers per hour (kph) by 4 a.m. and its size had decreased to 150 km diameter.

BACKSTORY: ‘Chedeng’ now a tropical depression

Chedeng packed winds of 180 kph when it entered the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) on late Holy Wednesday.

Before entering the PAR, Chedeng (international name “Maysak”) wrought destruction in the Federal States of Micronesia killing five and tearing apart houses and crops.

Its diameter was measured at 700-km wide.

READ: Micronesians appeal for help after devastating typhoon

Pagasa said Chedeng would weaken as it neared land but warned that it would still be “destructive.”

In its 5 p.m. bulletin on Saturday, the weather bureau said the typhoon still packed winds of 115 kph near the center, with gustiness of 145 kph, as it continued its west-northwest track.

BACKSTORY: ‘Chedeng’ weakens as it nears landfall

Chedeng’s strength prompted Pagasa to declare public storm warning signals in 26 areas: 14 under signal no. 1; 10 under signal no. 2; and two under signal no. 3.

In its 11 p.m. advisory on Saturday, the weather bureau said Chedeng’s wind speed had dropped to 95 kph.

The typhoon’s size was 300 km in diameter.

Typhoon warning signals were lowered and areas affected were down to 19: 12 areas under signal no. 2; and seven under signal no. 1.

At 1 a.m., Easter Sunday, Chedeng’s winds were already down to 75 kph, Pagasa said. Its size was smaller at 200 km.

Finally, at 5 a.m. as Christians performed the traditional “Salubong”—the symbolic meeting of Jesus and His mother Mary after Christ’s resurrection—Pagasa declared that Chedeng had weakened into a tropical depression.

The weather bureau said that by 5 a.m. on Monday, Chedeng would further weaken and be an LPA.