Tropical depression “Falcon” has intensified into a tropical storm while moving westward on Tuesday afternoon, the weather bureau said.
The storm’s center was estimated 335 kilometers east-southeast of Tuguegarao City in Cagayan as of 4 p.m. on Tuesday.
An average of 19 to 20 tropical cyclones enter the Philippine area of responsibility every year and eight to nine hit landmass.
A study conducted by Gerry Bagtasa of the UP Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology says typhoon tracks have changed in the past five decades due to climate change.
Since 2000, Bagtasa said, tropical cyclones used to hit Mindanao just like tropical storm “Pablo” in 2012 and “Sendong” in 2011.
However, recent observations showed that more cyclones are taking the upward direction toward Taiwan and are bringing more rain into the Philippines than in previous years.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology on Tuesday launched four applications developed by the Department of Science and Technology in relation to disaster risk reduction and mitigation.
Director Renato Solidum said the apps are GeoMapper-Exposure Data Mapper, GeoMapper-Situation Data Mapper, Geo Analytics and HazardHunter PH.
The project is a geographic information system integrating hazard maps and exposure data that could be accessed by various government agencies, he said.
At least P28 million was allotted to develop the system.
“Falcon” was moving west at 30 kilometers per hour and packing maximum sustained winds of 65 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 80 kph.
“Falcon” is forecast to make landfall over the Babuyan-Batanes Islands on Wednesday night, and may leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Friday.
Tropical cyclone warning Signal No. 2 was hoisted over the northeastern portion of Cagayan including the Babuyan Group of Islands, while Signal No. 1 remained in effect in Batanes, the rest of Cagayan, the northern portion of Ilocos Norte, the northern portion of Abra, Apayao, Kalinga and Isabela, and the eastern portion of Mountain Province and Ifugao.
