The US Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) on Tuesday, September 11, announced that Typhoon Ompong with international name Mangkhut has intensified and has now reached supertyphoon status.
The storm has maximum sustained winds of 250 kph and gusts of up to 306 km per hour.
As of 3 p.m., the supertyphoon was located 1,650 km east of Southern Luzon, outside the Philippine area of responsibility.
Earlier, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) on Tuesday, September 11, described government preparations as “Yolanda-like” as Typhoon Mangkhut (Ompong) nears the country.
NDRRMC spokesperson Dir. Edgard Posadas said Typhoon Yolanda, dubbed as the strongest typhoon to ever hit the world, left a lot of learnings on preparing for strong typhoons.
Posadas, however, clarified that it is still unclear if Ompong will be as strong as Yolanda despite earlier reports by international forecasters that the storm will reach supertyphoon status.
Ompong is expected to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Wednesday, September 12, and will make a landfall in Northern Luzon. Central Luzon and Metro Manila are also expected to be affected by the storm.
Currently, military and police personnel alongside the Coast Guard have prepared for rescue and response operations during the storm. A Php1.7 billion standby fund have been allotted for the response operations.
