Typhoon ‘Lando’ slightly weakens as it makes landfall

Typhoon “Lando” (international name Koppu) has slightly weakened as it made its first landfall in the town of Casiguran, Aurora Province, the state weather bureau said early Sunday.

READ: Lando makes landfall over Northern Aurora on Sunday, says Pagasa

In its 5 a.m. bulletin, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said the typhoon packed maximum sustained winds of 175 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center with gusts of up to 210 kph.

On Saturday night, Lando packed maximum sustained winds of 185 kph with gusts of up to 220 kph.

READ: Lando further intensifies; Signal No. 4 up in Aurora, Southern Isabela

It also slowed from 12 kph to only 3 kph on Sunday morning. It continues to move westward.

The eye of the typhoon was located 135 km east northeast of Baler Aurora or 90 km east southeast of Casiguran, Aurora.

Storm surge in affected areas are expected to reach a height of up to 3 to 4 meters in Aurora and neighboring provinces while wave height in open sea may reach up to 14 meters or higher.

Pagasa also advised fisherfolk not to venture out over the seaboards of Luzon, Visayas and the northern and eastern seaboard of Mindanao.

READ: LIST: Areas to brace for intense rains from ‘Lando’

Public Storm Warning Signal No. 4 Aurora is still up in Aurora.

Signal No. 3 was raised in Isabela, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, Nueva Ecija, Ifugao and Northern Quezon including Polillo Islands.

Meanwhile, Signal no. 2 remained hoisted in Metro Manila, as well as Cagayan including Calayan and Babuyan group of Islands, Benguet, Mt. Province, Kalinga, Apayao, Pangasinan, Tarlac, Pampanga, Bulacan, Rizal, and the rest of Quezon.

Signal no. 1 is up in Zambales, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Abra, Camarines Norte, Bataan, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas and Batanes.

Storm signals elsewhere are now lowered.

READ: Palace: LGUs in northern PH ready for ‘Lando’

Provinces under signal no. 2, 3 and 4 will experience stormy weather while the rest will experience occasional rains and gusty winds.

Residents in low lying and mountainous areas of the affected provinces are also alerted against possible flash floods and landslides.