International meteorologists say typhoon Labuyo (Utor) is the “world’s strongest storm of the year.”
So far, 2 casualties were recorded and 16 others were injured when typhoon Labuyo with the strongest wind of 200 KPH (124 MPH) made landfall early Monday on the east coast of Luzon damaging hundreds of houses and plantation.
In a report by CNN, “it’s the strongest typhoon we’ve had so far on the planet this year,” said CNN International meteorologist Samantha Mohr. “So that gives you some idea of the magnitude of this system.”
Utor churned west northwest over Luzon, dumping heavy rain on the island’s hilly terrain and bringing the risk of landslides. It weakened as it moved over land and by Monday afternoon, it had begun to head out into the South China Sea.
Aid groups in the Philippines, which had been preparing for the storm’s arrival for several days, said they were only just beginning to assess the situation on the ground in the hardest hit areas.
“There’s a high risk that part of the population may get isolated because of landslides and difficulty moving around,” said Anna Lindenfors, country director for Save the Children in the Philippines.
It was earlier forecast by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) based on the graphical satellite analyzer that Labuyo c0uld reach its strong winds to 165 before it landfalls in Aurora.
Labuyo (Utor) is heading towards Southern China while regaining more strenght as it moves out of the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) at midnight Tuesday, August 13, 2013.
Check out weather updates: http://www.pagasa.dost.gov.ph/.
Watch the DZRH Sunday Newscast about Typhoon Labuyo before it hit Luzon:
More about Labuyo on CNN Reports