TYPHOON 'BUTCHOY' 'BUCHOY' OR 'BUTSOY' / RAINS BEFORE 'BUTCHOY'
ALREADY KILLS 12
[PHOTO -'RAIN FALL' A worker cuts a massive acacia
tree that crashed to the ground after heavy rains loosened the soil around it at
the University of the Philippines' Sunken Garden in Diliman, Quezon City, late
Wednesday. MARIANNE BERMUDEZ country's typhoon tracker]
MANILA, JUNE 15, 2012 (INQUIRER) By Kristine L. Alave -
However you spell its name—"Butchoy" or "Buchoy" or "Butsoy"—it will
still pack quite a wallop if it hits the Philippines.
Butchoy's international name sounds even odder—Guchol.
The second tropical storm to enter the Philippine area of responsiblity this
year—officially called Butchoy—on Thursday swirled some 780 kilometers east of
Eastern Samar but was not expected to make landfall in the Philippines.
Still, weather experts said Butchoy would enhance the southwest monsoon and
its outer band could graze provinces in eastern Luzon.
Misspellings of the tropical storm's name are not a big deal for the
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
(Pagasa), the country's typhoon tracker
Pagasa Administrator Nathaniel Servando said he had seen the storm spelled as
"Butsoy" and "Buchoy" in various media outlets but "I don't see it as a
problem."
They all sound the same but the important thing is people should know what to
expect from it, he said.
Potential typhoon
The Philippines is one of the few countries in the world that ditches the
international names assigned by the World Meteorological Organization in favor
of local names.
"This makes it easier for people to remember," Servando explained.
As of 5 p.m. Thursday, Butchoy had intensified into a severe tropical storm,
packing maximum sustained winds of 95 kilometers per hour near the center and
gusting at 120 kilometers per hour. It was traveling west northwest at 20 kph
with a fairly large diameter of 300 km.
Officials warned Butchoy could strengthen into a typhoon, being still over
the sea.
Butchoy blocked
Pagasa has not raised any public storm warning signals anywhere in the
Philippines.
"It's moving west northwest right now. There's no indication yet that it will
move westward or that its center will make landfall," Servando said, but he
added: "While moving closer, its outerband could affect some provinces."
Robert Sawi, Pagasa's chief forecaster, said a high-pressure area in the
western Pacific was blocking the storm from moving further northward.
"You can see it's moving west. Once it weakens, it will recurve in 48 to 72
hours," Sawi said.
But while Butchoy is not predicted to make landfall, it will help enhance the
southwest monsoon and induce rains all over the country, Pagasa said. This will
cover the Philippines with cloudy skies in the next three days.
As of 10 p.m. Thursday, Butchoy was estimated at 680 km east of Guiuan,
Eastern Samar. It is forecast to move west northwest at 15 kph. The forecast
position is expected to be 450 km east of Borongan, Eastern Samar by Friday
evening. It will be at 500 km east of Baler, Aurora by Saturday evening and by
Sunday evening, it will be at 280 km east of Basco, Batanes.
Heavy rains
The low-pressure area has brought heavy rains across Mindanao.
The storm's estimated rainfall amount is from 15 to 25 mm per hour, Pagasa
said.
Servando warned those living near the coasts, particularly in the Visayas, to
be wary of strong winds and storm surges.
No longer female names
In the past, typhoon names were exclusively female nicknames ending in "ing."
This practice was halted in 2001, when Pagasa used new names for cyclones that
included nicknames of males and foreign-sounding names, such as "Ulysses."
Pagasa has four sets of tropical storm names containing 25 entries arranged
alphabetically. In case the number of tropical storms within a year exceeds 25,
Pagasa assigns names from an auxiliary list that contains 10 entries.
The weather bureau usually "retires" certain names, specially if they are
associated with typhoons that killed over 300 people and destroyed over P1
billion worth of property.
Storm names that will never be used again are "Milenyo" and "Ondoy."
From the way it whirls right now, it doesn't seem like Butchoy will join
their company.
FROM THE INQUIRER
Bad weather ahead of Butchoy death toll rises to
12 Philippine Daily Inquirer 11:03 pm | Thursday, June
14th, 2012
SARANGANI—Bad weather ahead of Tropical Storm "Butchoy" killed at
least 12 people in this province and Palawan, which heavy rains, floods,
landslides and storm surges battered starting on Sunday, according to
authorities Thursday.
Benito Ramos, head of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
Council (NDRRMC), said more than 10,000 families had been displaced in five
Mindanao provinces, including here.
Maj. Jacob Obligado, civil military officer of the 10th Infantry Division,
said at least 276 fishermen had been rescued from turbulent seas as of
yesterday.
In Sarangani alone, however, at least 61 people are missing, said Obligado.
The mayor of Maasim town, Arturo Lawa, said 215 of the 276 rescued fishermen
were from his town.
In El Nido, Palawan, the number of fatalities in the sinking of the ferry MV
Joecill 2 has risen to seven as two more bodies were found.
Hero
One of the dead was identified as Juanito Tito, village councilor of Barangay
New Guinlo in Taytay, Palawan, who was seen by survivors giving his life jacket
to an elderly passenger of the boat before the boat sank.
Tito's body was found floating with the boat's wreck yesterday near Tent
Island off El Nido.
Search continues
Maj. Neil Estrella, information chief of the Western Command (Wescom), said
five more passengers were missing. A total of 56 passengers have been rescued
and taken back to Taytay town, he said.
The vessel's owner, Silverio Atienza of Silverio Shipping Lines, admitted in
an interview with a radio station in Palawan that some of the passengers who
rode the boat were not listed on the manifest.
Reports said the boat manifest only listed 34 passengers and 12 crew members.
"Either the crew allowed them as visitors or let them board the vessel for
their monetary consideration," Silverio said.
In Maasim, Sarangani, the town's two patrol boats continued to scour the seas
for missing fishermen. "Hopefully, more fishermen would be rescued," said Mayor
Lawa.
In Digos City in Davao del Sur, the search for seven fishermen who went
missing on Tuesday has not been successful.
In Glan, Sarangani, Mayor Victor James Yap Sr. said the number of families
displaced by floods went up to 700.
A state of calamity was declared in Glan on Wednesday. A state of calamity
was also declared in Maasim yesterday.
Landslide victim
Among the dead in Mindanao was a girl who was buried in a landslide in
Marilog District in Davao City on Monday.
Another victim was a mine worker, Ernesto Tereso, who drowned when
floodwaters entered the tunnel he was working in in Bayugan, Agusan del Sur.
Sarangani officials said fishermen have not been sufficiently warned because
they set out to sea before the weather turned bad. Aquiles
Zonio, Jeoffrey Maitem, Germelina Lacorte, Charlie Señase, Orlando Dinoy and
Karlos Manlupig, Inquirer Mindanao; and Redempto D. Anda, Inquirer Southern
Luzon
FROM SUN STAR ONLINE
'Butchoy' enters Philippines Thursday, June 14,
2012
MANILA (3rd Update, 11:30 a.m.) – Tropical Storm "Butchoy" (international
codename: Guchol) has entered the Philippine area of responsibility Thursday
morning, the state weather bureau said.
In a press briefing, senior weather forecaster Robert Sawi said the storm
entered the country's waters at 9 a.m. packing maximum winds of 85 kilometers
per hour (kph) and gustiness of up to 100 kph.
The weather system is moving west northwest at 24 kph.
As of 10 a.m., the center of "Butchoy" was estimated based on satellite,
surface data at 880 kilometers (km) east of Guiuan, Eatern Samar.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services
Administration (Pagasa) said the storm won't make landfall but it would
intensify into a typhoon, enhancing the southwest monsoon.
Pagasa said "Butchoy" will be felt late Friday or early Saturday over eastern
Visayas and Bicol Region. It is set to intensify as it moves closer to land.
"The new storm will be in the country for four to five days. If there is no
change in its speed and direction, the cloud mass will be concentrated over
northern Luzon. No indication of landfall whatsoever," senior weather forecaster
Mario Palafox earlier told Sun.Star.
Estimated rainfall amount is from 15–25 millimeters per hour (heavy) within
the 300-kilometer diameter of the storm.
Benito Ramos, executive director of the National Disaster and Risk Reduction
Management Council (NDRRMC), has advised local disaster risk reduction managers
to prepare and take precautionary measures.
NDRRMC urged fishermen in the eastern seaboard not to venture out to sea and
urged the local government units to prepare for rains and floods.
"Butchoy" is expected at 320 km northeast of Virac, Catanduanes by Saturday
and 310 km northeast of Aparri, Cagayan by Sunday morning.
Pagasa said the weather system will exit the country by Tuesday. (Sunnex)
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2012 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
All
rights reserved
PHILIPPINE
HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE [PHNO] WEBSITE
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------
Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/phnotweet
This is the PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE (PHNO) Mailing List.
To stop receiving our news items, please send a blank e-mail addressed to: phno-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
Please visit our homepage at: http://www.newsflash.org/
(c) Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
-------------------------------------------------------------Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/phno/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/phno/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
phno-digest@yahoogroups.com
phno-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
phno-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
PH Headline News Online. Copyright 2011 All Rights Reserved