This undated handout photo received from Ivana Police station on Saturday shows police helping residents reinforce the roof of their homes in Ivana town, Batanes province, on the very tip of the Philippines, ahead of Typhoon Betty (international name Mawar) grazing the province. Ivana Police station, AFP
Moderate to strong winds and moderate to heavy rainfall have started to pummel the northernmost province of Batanes Tuesday amid the onslaught of Typhoon Betty.
Justine Jerico Socito, Batanes provincial administrator and emergency operations center officer in charge, said Betty is now 350 kilometers east of Basco, Batanes and is packing 150 kph winds and 185 kph gusts.
A blackout has affected Sabtang Island, the official said, while the main island is undergoing a scheduled power interruption from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. due to lack of fuel.
"Sa islang Sabtang total blackout. Hanggat hindi gumanda ang panahon, tuloy tuloy ang scheduled brownout at power interruption sa aming probinsya," he said in a TeleRadyo interview.
Classes remain suspended in the province.
Batanes Governor Malou Cayco earlier said the province has been preparing for the onslaught of Typhoon Betty (international codename Mawar) for the past 2 weeks amid reports that it was packing super typhoon winds.
Authorities, meanwhile, have prepositioned 6,000 food packs in anticipation of possible adverse effects brought by the typhoon.
Rains from typhoon Betty may unleash floods and landslides in some parts of Luzon, state weather bureau PAGASA earlier said.