Super Typhoon ‘Ofel’ (international name: Usagi) maintains its strength as it continues to endanger the Cagayan Valley region, the state weather bureau said on Thursday.
According to the latest11 AM advisory from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), Super Typhoon ‘Ofel’ is moving west northwestward at 15 kilometers per hour with maximum sustained winds of 185 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 230 kilometers per hour.
Its center was last estimated at 135 km northeast of Echague, Isabela, over the coastal waters of Divilacan, Isabela.
Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 5 is still raised over the northeastern portion of mainland Cagayan while TCWS No. 4 is assigned to the southeastern portion of Babuyan Islands, the northern and eastern portions of mainland Cagayan and the northeastern portion of Isabela.
TCWS No. 3 is up over Batanes, the rest of Cagayan, the northern, central, and southeastern portions of Isabela , the northern portion of Apayao, and the northern portion of Ilocos Norte.
TCWS No. 2 is hoisted over the western and southern portions of Isabela, the northeastern portion of Quirino, the rest of Apayao, Kalinga, the northeastern portion of Abra, the eastern portion of Mountain Province, the eastern portion of Ifugao, the rest of Ilocos Norte, and the northern portion of Aurora.
Finally, TCWS No. 1 is issued to the rest of Isabela, the rest of Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, the rest of Mountain Province, the rest of Ifugao, the rest of Abra, the northern portion of Benguet, Ilocos Sur, the northern portion of La Union, and the northern and central portions of Aurora.
According to PAGASA, ‘Ofel’ is forecast to move northwestward over the Philippine Sea before making landfall along the eastern coast of Cagayan this afternoon. It will then emerge over Babuyan Channel tonight while making another landfall or passing close to Babuyan Islands.
The weather disturbance will then turn north northwestward to north northeastward over the sea west of Batanes tomorrow before turning northeastward beginning Saturday over the sea east of Taiwan towards Ryukyu Islands by the remaining forecast period.
“A weakening trend is expected for much of the forecast period due to increasing interaction with the landmass of Luzon and Taiwan, as well as the increasingly unfavorable environment over the Luzon Strait and the sea east of Taiwan. However, landfall at or near super typhoon intensity is likely,” it warned.
