Typhoon Ramil (international codename: Lupit) slowed down then nearly tripled its speed in a matter of six hours as it headed straight to northern Luzon in the Philippines for an expected landfall Friday morning.

Weather bureau officials said the high-pressure area near Hong Kong had moved farther up north, giving way for Ramil to barrel toward Cagayan and neighbouring provinces.

The eye of the typhoon was expected to make landfall in Cagayan’s northwestern town of Aparri.

“It’s possible that by Friday morning (October 23), Ramil will make landfall in Cagayan,” Dr. Prisco Nilo, chief of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), said at a late afternoon press conference Thursday (October 22).

Nilo gave the typhoon a “10-per-cent probability” of veering away and heading toward Taiwan. “But based on all data available, it would make landfall (on October 23),” he said.

PAGASA Deputy Administrator Nathaniel Cruz said that northern Luzon was already “stormy” as of Thursday night.

In Barangay Punta, Aparri, Cagayan, waves as high as 7 feet were already smashing into the seawall Thursday morning.

The winds were so strong they could knock a man to the ground. Barangay Punta is located in an area where the Cagayan River meets the ocean and is surrounded by a thick seawall.

But it was the waves and the sea that fishermen in the area like Jeffrey Mayormita eyed suspiciously.

“These are small waves. It could get bigger when the storm comes,” Mayormita said as a fresh stream of salty water sprayed his thin frame.

“We are used to storms because they come every year. Every time, we get nervous. But God is merciful,” he added.

Mayormita said he had already fortified his small house. But he said he would not leave it behind to go to an evacuation center.

“We will just stay inside, and brace ourselves. As for our boats, we will watch them, too, when the storm comes,” he said.

Slightly weakened

PAGASA’s 5 pm weather bulletin on Thursday said Ramil was forecast to move west southwest at 13 kilometres per hour.

Six hours earlier, PAGASA announced that Ramil’s speed had slowed to 5 kph, prompting it to forecast that the typhoon would make landfall by Sunday morning.

While gaining speed, Ramil slightly weakened, packing maximum sustained winds of 160 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 195 kph.

At 4 pm Thursday, the eye of the typhoon was spotted 180 km east of Aparri.

(It weakened further at 10 pm, with maximum sustained winds of 120 kph near the center and gusts of up to 150 kph and was located 150 kms east of Aparri.-Ed)

Farther inland

In Barangay San Antonio, adjacent to Barangay Punta, a group of women at the beach also watched the sea warily.

“This is just low tide. Just wait for high tide. The waves could be strong enough, and reach our houses and even farther inland,” said Leni Cabusi, 44.

Her neighbour Violy Notar, 50, said she and other residents in the area would have to leave their homes at night.

“When high tide sets in at around 4:00 pm, that’s when we go inland, either to an evacuation centre or homes of our relatives. At day time, we come back, and watch the sea,” Notar said.