The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services (PAGASA) on Saturday morning announced that tropical cyclone “Nando” (international name: Ragasa) has rapidly intensified into a typhoon.
According to the state weather bureau’s 11 a.m. tropical cyclone bulletin on Saturday, Nando was last located 775 kilometers east of Casiguran, Aurora. It is moving west-northwestward at 10 kilometers per hour (kph), with maximum sustained winds of 120 kph near the center and gusts of up to 150 kph.
No tropical cyclone wind signal is currently hoisted, but PAGASA said it will raise Signal No. 1 over northern Luzon and the eastern portion of Central Luzon this afternoon, adding that up to Signal No. 5 may be hoisted throughout Nando’s passage.
The typhoon will likewise enhance the Southwest Monsoon as it approaches the Philippine landmass.
“There is a high risk of life-threatening storm surge (daluyong) with peak heights exceeding 3 meters within the next 96 hours over the low-lying or exposed coastal localities of Batanes, Cagayan, Ilocos Norte, and Ilocos Sur,” PAGASA warned, projecting Nando to move generally northwestward over the next 12 hours before turning west-northwestward toward extreme northern Luzon.
The tropical cyclone’s center may pass close or may make landfall over Batanes or Babuyan Islands between the afternoon or evening of September 22, then exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) by the morning of September 23.
Nando will continue to intensify over the Philippine Sea, possibly reaching super typhoon category by September 22 as it nears the Batanes-Babuyan Islands.
