Podul may intensify into typhoon — PAGASA

SEVERE TROPICAL STORM Podul, locally called Gorio, detected in extreme North Luzon may intensify into a typhoon before making landfall over Taiwan and exiting the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) on Wednesday, the state weather bureau reported on Monday.

Podul was spotted 1,060 kilometers east of extreme northern Luzon, as of 4 p.m., the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in a 5 p.m. bulletin.

It was packing maximum sustained winds of 110 kilometers per hour (kph) with gusts up to 135 kph, the agency added. It was moving west southwestward at 20 kph.

PAGASA said Podul may make landfall over the eastern coast of Taiwan on Wednesday (Aug. 13) afternoon and exit PAR by Wednesday evening.

“Gorio may reach typhoon category prior to its landfall to Taiwan before weakening throughout the remaining forecast period,” it said.

The Philippines is still reeling from the impacts of three tropical storms that enhanced monsoon rains last month.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in a statement on Monday said it had dispatched a total of 2.09 million family food packs as part of continuing disaster relief efforts for people displaced by the storms in July.

Its humanitarian aid had hit P1.4 billion including ready-to-eat-food, family kits, family tents, water containers, and other non-food items as needed.

It also included financial aid provided to 10,250 beneficiaries of a crisis situation program.

The DSWD said it has more than 1.9 million family food packs in its warehouses nationwide, “and production continues to ensure that we are always ready to respond to the food needs of disaster hit families.”

Latest government data showed more than 2.8 million families, or 10.3 million people from 18 regions were affected by the storms that caused massive flooding last month. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza