Submitted by Vox Bikol on
NAGA CITY (Aug 27, 2011 1:00 P.M.) - The core of powerful Typhoon Mina (International name: Nanmadol) is now passing very close to the town of Santa Ana or along Escarpada Point in Northeastern Cagayan. It has a centerwind of 205 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness up to 250 kph. The 24-hour Rainfall Accumulation near the center is estimated at very high 400 mm.
Its Western and Southwestern Eyewall continues to lash Northern Cagayan with very powerful winds and heavy rains and Typhoon Conditions now prevail across the whole of Cagayan Province.
Inner rainbands continue to bring rains with heavy squalls across the whole of Northern Luzon.
According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), Mina made a landfall in Gonzaga, Cagayan, at 7:55 a.m. today.
Mina moves slowly Northwest at 7 kph towards the area of Palau,Calayan and Batanes.
With a diameter of 740 kilometers (400 nautical miles), Mina affects a large part of the country as it also continues to enhance the Southwest Monsoonal Flow across the Philippines, bringing occasional showers, rains, squalls with thunderstorms especially along the western sections of Luzon and Visayas.
Typhoon Signal No. 4 remains hoisted over northern Cagayan, including the Calayan and Babuyan groups of islands.
Signal No. 3 is up over Isabela, Apayao, the rest of Cagayan and the Batanes islands.
Signal No. 2 is up over northern Aurora, Quirino, Ifugao, Mountain Province, Kalinga, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Abra, Benguet, and La Union; a
The rest of Aurora, Nueva Vizcaya, Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan, Tarlac and Zambales remain under Signal No. 1.
As of 12 noon today, Mina's center was located 6 kilometers East-Northeast of Santa Ana, Cagayan at coordinates 18.3º North Latitude 122.3º East Longitude.
Batanes is still at risk of possible direct hit, although current projections expect Mina to pass 50 km to the west of Basco tomorrow morning (Sunday).