Philippine Storm Watch: IGME July 26, 2008

Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration

Synopsis: At 2 p.m. today, Tropical Storm "IGME" was estimated based on satellite and surface data at 510 kms east northeast of Basco, Batanes (21.5°N, 127.0°E) with maximum sustained winds of 115 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 145 kph. It is moving west at 15 kph.

Forecast: Batanes group of islands will experience stormy weather while the rest of Extreme Northern Luzon will have rains and gusty winds and the coastal waters along these areas will be rough. The rest of the country will have mostly cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms.

Moderate to strong winds blowing from the southwest will prevail over Luzon and the western sections of Visayas and Mindanao and the coastal waters along these areas will be moderate to rough. Elsewhere, light to moderate winds coming from the southwest will prevail with slight to moderate seas except during thunderstorms.

Landslide Bury Miners In Southern Philippines

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Nov. 19, 2007) – At least three people were killed and several more missing Monday after heavy rains loosed mud and boulders on a village in southern Philippines, military and police reports said.

It said a mining tunnel collapsed due to the landslide in the town of Placer in Surigao del Norte province. Other reports said as many as five people, mostly miners of the Manila Mining Corp., were killed.

The military said it deployed soldiers to help rescuers find those missing.

The exact number of people missing is still unclear, but rescuers were digging through debris inside the collapsed tunnel to find possible survivors.

Many areas in southern Philippines were flooded because of heavy rains the past days. A cyclone also destroyed about two dozen thatched houses on a remote village in Zamboanga City.

Weather experts said an active low area east of northern Mindanao has developed into a tropical depression.

Although its maximum sustained winds is only 55 kilometers per hour, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration warned residents in low lying areas and near mountain slopes of possible flashfloods and landslides.

It also alerted residents living near coastal areas for big waves generated by the tropical cyclone. (Mindanao Examiner)