By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
After reaching peak intensity Wednesday, Super Typhoon Rosal slightly weakened as it maintained its west-northwestward movement over the Philippine Sea.
According to PAGASA’s 5:00 p.m. bulletin, Rosal (international name: Champi) was last located 725 km east of Aparri, Cagayan, packing maximum sustained winds of 205 kph and gustiness of up to 250 kph as it moves west northwestward at 25 kph.
Wind Signal No. 2 remains hoisted in Batanes, with the archipelagic province expected to experience winds greater than 62 kph and up to 88 kph over the next 24 hours.
Moreover, these areas remain under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1, which are expected to experience winds of 39-61 kph or intermittent rains over the next 36 hours:
- Apayao
- Babuyan Islands
- Cagayan
- Ilocos Norte
- Isabela
- Catanduanes
Meanwhile, the state weather bureau issued a Gale Warning advisory over the following coastal waters:
- 3.4-9.6 meter-high waves over the seaboards of extreme Northern Luzon (Batanes and Babuyan Islands)
- 3.1-7.0 meter-high waves over the northern and eastern seaboards of Northern Luzon (Mainland Cagayan and Isabela)
- 2.8-5.0 meter-high waves over the northern seaboard of Northern Luzon and the eastern seaboard of Southern Luzon (The northern coast of Ilocos Norte and the northern and eastern coasts of Catanduanes [Pandan, Bagamanoc, Panganiban, Viga, Gigmoto, Baras, Bato])
- 2.8-5.0 meter-high waves over the eastern seaboard of Central Luzon (Aurora [Dilasag, Casiguran])
- 2.8-4.5 meter-high waves over the eastern seaboards of Southern Luzon and Visayas (The northern and eastern coasts of Polillo Islands [the northern coast of Panukulan, Burdeos, the eastern coast of Patnanungan, and Jomalig], Camarines Norte [Paracale, Vinzons, Talisay, Daet, Mercedes], Camarines Sur [Siruma, Tinambac, Lagonoy, Garchitorena, Caramoan], Albay [Rapu-Rapu], Sorsogon [Prieto Diaz], and Northern Samar [Laoang, Palapag, Pambujan, Mondragon, San Roque])
These areas are expected to experience strong to gale-force winds and are deemed by PAGASA to be unsafe for any form of sea travel.
Rough seas are also expected over the following coastal waters:
- Up to 4.0 m: The eastern seaboards of northern Quezon and Eastern Samar; the remaining seaboards of Northern Samar and Ilocos Norte.
- Up to 3.5: The remaining seaboard of Eastern Samar; the northern seaboard of Ilocos Sur.
- Up to 3.0 m: The seaboard of La Union; the eastern seaboard of Dinagat Islands and Siargao-Bucas Grande Island Group; the remaining seaboard of Catanduanes and Ilocos Sur; the northern and eastern seaboard of Davao Oriental; the northwestern seaboard of Pangasinan.
Super Typhoon Rosal is forecast to continue moving west-northwestward today before turning northwestward Thursday. It will then begin to turn north-northwestward by October 23 before pivoting northeastward by October 24.
The weather system is expected to gradually weaken into a typhoon by Friday and will continue to weaken near Taiwan due to unfavorable conditions.
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