What Impact is Severe Tropical Storm Bualoi Having on the Philippines?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Four fatalities confirmed due to Bualoi.
- Five fishermen from Eastern Samar are missing.
- Bualoi is moving at 35 km/h with winds up to 110 km/h.
- Over 1.2 million people affected nationwide.
- Bualoi is the 15th tropical cyclone of the year.
Manila, Sep 26 (NationPress) Authorities have reported four fatalities as the severe tropical storm Bualoi relentlessly sweeps across the Philippines after making landfall, according to the country's Office of Civil Defence (OCD) on Friday.
Claudio Yucot, the regional director of the OCD in Bicol, stated during a televised press briefing that they are currently confirming reports of four individuals who have tragically lost their lives due to this severe weather.
Additionally, Lord Byron Torrecarion, the regional director of the OCD in Eastern Visayas, indicated that five fishermen from Eastern Samar province are currently unaccounted for.
Torrecarion noted that these five fishermen went out to sea last Tuesday and have not returned as of last Thursday, as reported by Xinhua news agency.
The state weather bureau, PAGASA, announced on Friday that Bualoi is currently situated over central Philippines and is moving westward at a speed of 35 km per hour, with maximum sustained winds of 110 km per hour and gusts reaching up to 135 km per hour.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported that the combined effects of the southwest monsoon and three recent tropical cyclones, including Ragasa and Bualoi, have resulted in a total of 14 fatalities in the Philippines.
According to the agency, approximately 303,537 families, or about 1,212,712 individuals, have been affected nationwide.
Bualoi, which is locally referred to as Opong, is anticipated to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility by Saturday afternoon.
On average, the Philippines experiences around 20 typhoons each year, making the archipelago highly susceptible to tropical cyclones that typically bring heavy rainfall, flooding, and strong winds, leading to casualties and significant destruction of crops and infrastructure.
This storm, which is the 15th tropical cyclone to impact the Philippines this year, has a rain and wind band extending about 450 kilometers (280 miles) from its center, and is projected to move northwest, potentially affecting densely populated coastal regions south of Manila before entering the South China Sea.