Typhoon Imbudo threatens northern Philippines

MANILA (AFP) Jul 21, 2003
Typhoon Imbudo bore down on the northern Philippines on Monday with peak sustained winds of 165 kilometers (102 miles) an hour, the weather bureau said.

The cyclone is forecast to smash into the town of Palanan on Luzon island's Pacific coast on Tuesday afternoon, forecasters said.

They announced the second-lowest of a four-stage alert over the islands of Catanduanes, Polillo, Babuyan and four provinces on Luzon, which are expected to suffer from stormy weather from Monday night.

Lower alerts were hoisted over the rest of northern Luzon and the central islands of Marinduque, Burias, Masbate, Biliran and Samar.

At 4:00 pm (0800 GMT) Imbudo tracked a northwesterly course with the eye plotted 280 kilometers (174 miles) northeast of Catanduanes. The typhoon bore gusts of up to 195 kilometers (121 miles) an hour.

TERRA.WIRE