Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) Administrator Vicente Malano said they are looking at two landfall scenarios for super typhoon Karding (international name: Noru).
Malano said Karding may make landfall over Polillo Islands between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 25, or a landfall will take place over northern Quezon-southern Aurora between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.
But whichever of these two scenarios happens, he advised the public to still be vigilant because the approaching super typhoon Karding will be disastrous.
Senior weather specialist Chris Perez said the eyewall of the cyclone is the area where we can expect the heaviest rain and winds that could cause major impacts to the areas it will pass through.
“Kaya yung mga talagang tatawirin ng gitna ng bagyong Karding ay posibleng makaranas talaga ng napakasungit na panahon (So the areas that the center of typhoon Karding will cross are likely to experience really rough weather),” Perez pointed out.
“Hanggang bukas ng umaga ay tatawirin nito ang Central Luzon area but that doesn’t mean na Central Luzon lang ang dapat maghanda. Lahat po ng areas na may warning signal ay kailangan maghanda sa paparating na bagyo (Until tomorrow morning (Sept. 26), Karding will cross the Central Luzon area but that doesn’t mean that only Central Luzon should prepare. All areas with a warning signal need to prepare for the approaching typhoon),” he added.
Perez said that from Monday morning, Sept. 26, to Tuesday morning, Sept. 27, “we will see the gradual shift of heavy rains starting from the eastern section of Luzon to the western part of Luzon.”
According to Esperanza Cayanan, PAGASA’s Deputy Administrator for Research and Development, said Karding’s track is almost the same as super typhoon Rolly’s track in 2020.
However, Rolly was stronger, with maximum sustained winds of 225 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of up to 280 kph as it hit land.
As of 11 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 25, Karding was packing maximum sustained winds of 195 kph and gustiness of up to 240 kph.
Cayanan noted Rolly damaged PAGASA’s Doppler radar in Virac, when it passed through Bicol Region and Southern Luzon from Oct. 29 to Nov. 3, 2020.
Rolly left 25 people dead and incurred P13 billion damage to infrastructure and the agricultural sector, she said.