N. Philippines braced for typhoon "Nuri"
19/8/2008 17:43
Typhoon Nuri (local codename as " Karen") continues to intensify as it
maintained its course towards the northern Philippines, the country's weather
agency said today.
In a statement issued at 11 a.m. local time (0300 GMT),
the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Services Administration
(PAGASA) said the eye of the storm, which packs maximum sustained winds of 130
kilometers per hour with gusts of up to 160 kilometers per hour, was located 450
kilometers east southeast of Tuguegarao City.
Moving west at 22 kilometers
per hour, the storm was forecast to make landfall in Cagayan province between 7
and 9 am tomorrow, the state weather bureau said.
The storm is expected to
enhance the southwest monsoon, bringing rains to Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao,
particularly the western portions, according to the statement.
Located to the
west to the Pacific, the Philippine archipelago is a frequent victim of summer
typhoons generated over the Pacific. Hundreds and even thousands of lives were
lost every year in the devastation of tropical storms.
Xinhua
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