Hurricane Xangsane Weakens to Tropical Storm Towards Vietnam

Although the GDACS has issued a Red Alert for Hurricane Xangsane , Typhoon Milenyo (Xangsane) has reduced to a tropical storm status on its way out of the Philippines to the South China Sea late last night after hitting Metro Manila and nearby provinces, according to the national weather bureau.

(Map showing Xangsane heading out of Manila into Vietnam)

In a report broadcasted by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), the storm was packing maximum sustained winds of 110 kilometers per hour near the center with gusts of up to 140 kph as it traveled west northwest at 22 kph, The highest storm warning signal number 3 was raised over the provinces of Bataan and southern Zambales, the weather authority said. Signal number 2 was up over Manila, where government services and school classes are still suspended.

An AlertNet info bulletin . mentions that Vietnam's army have been placed on alert and residents in the resort city of Danang have been told to prepare for evacuation. Xangsane was predicted to be 510 kilometers northwest of Manila this afternoon, after the rainstorm left at least eight people dead and brought flash floods in the streets. We are tracking Xangsane via the TSR (Tropical Storm Risk) tracker over here. All ships within the typhoon are requested to send in three-hourly weather reports to a 24-hour hotline operated by PAGASA: 433-ULAN (433-8526)



(Source: Xinhua / AlertNet / GDACS / PAGASA)



Tags: [South East Asia/Philippines, Vietnam] [Hurricane, Typhoon] [Breaking News/ Disaster /Emergency /Humanitarian/Relief/Rescue]