Classes suspended in parts of Luzon as Florita heads north

Thousands of students who returned to face-to-face classes this week met with heavy rains as Florita (local name Ma-on) intensifies into a severe tropical storm.

Florita made its first landfall in Maconacon, Isabela Tuesday morning.

The Philippines weather bureau, PAGASA, in its August 23 (11 am) bulletin reported that Florita is moving north-northwestward with maximum sustained winds of 110 km/h and gustiness of up to 150 km/h.

Signal number 3 is now hoisted in several provinces in the north and the central Philippines including Isabela, Cagayan, and Ilocos Norte. These provinces will experience heavy to intense rains for the next several hours. The rest of Luzon island will experience light to moderate and at times heavy rains.

Florita’s heavy rains inundated several provinces already forcing school officials to cancel the second day of its physical classes for the school year 2022-2023.

Students in Pampanga, for instance, attended the first day of face-to-face classes at a school flooded due to the enhanced southwest monsoon. Two elementary schools in Albay were also flooded due to torrential rains.

Children are advised to stay in a safe area as the tropical storm passes over land.

Florita is expected to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Wednesday morning. (report from Miriam Doñoz | Field and Emergency Communications Specialist)