By Roy Mabasa The Philippine Consulate office in New York has issued an advisory to the Filipino community in the northeast United States to observe safety precautions ahead of a 'bomb cyclone' that is expected to hit the area on Thursday (Friday in Manila). (Credits: AP Photo | Charles Dharapak, File | Manila Bulletin) Consul General Maria Theresa Dizon-De Vega said volunteers under the consulate's Warden System have been alerted to monitor weather conditions and to report any emergencies. Dizon-De Vega said there are 35,000 Filipinos in the New England states of Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, which will be most affected by the strong snowstrom. In a statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs said as many as 340,000 Filipinos could be affected by the meteorological phenomenon called “bombogenesis” or area of rapidly declining low pressure. It added that the bomb cyclone is expected to bring hurricane-force winter winds and from six to 12 inches of snow in the New England states and from three to six inches of snow in the New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut areas. The DFA also advised Filipinos in the affected areas to closely monitor weather reports and to heed instructions of local authorities. Reports said that most of the US is already battling arctic weather conditions since late December while parts of usually warmer regions like the Southeast are experiencing historic low temperature ranges, freezing rain, and snow.