Super Typhoon “Leon” continues to move closer to Batanes, which is now under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) no. 4, according to the 2 p.m. bulletin of state weather bureau PAGASA on Wednesday.
This means that significant to severe impacts from typhoon-force winds are possible within the said province.
Moreover, the hoisting of TCWS no. 5 has not been ruled out in the event that Leon moves to the left of its forecast track.
There is a moderate to high risk of life-threatening coastal flooding due to storm surge with peak heights exceeding three meters above normal tide levels over the low-lying or exposed coastal localities of Batanes and Babuyan Islands within the next 48 hours.
The super typhoon will be closest to Batanes from late Wednesday evening to Thursday morning, with landfall in the province still possible. Leon will be near or at peak intensity during its closest point of approach to Batanes.
The tropical cyclone was last estimated based on all available data 310 kilometers east of Calayan, Cagayan.
It is moving west-northwestward at 15 kilometers per hour (kph) with maximum sustained winds of 185 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 230 kph.
