By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
After reaching peak intensity Wednesday, Super Typhoon Rosal continued to weaken but maintained its west northwestward movement as it hovered over the Philippine Sea east of Batanes.
According to PAGASA’s 11:00 a.m. bulletin Thursday, Rosal (international name: Champi) was last located 400 km east of Basco, Batanes, packing maximum sustained winds of 185 kph and gustiness of up to 230 kph as it moves west northwestward at 20 kph.
Wind Signal No. 2 prevails over Batanes, with the archipelagic province expected to experience winds greater than 62 kph and up to 88 kph over the next 24 hours.
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
Meanwhile, the state weather bureau, moreover, issued a Gale Warning advisory over the following coastal waters:
- 5.5-12.1 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 (The northern coasts of Ilocos Norte, mainland Cagayan, and Isabela)
- 2.8-5.0 meter-high waves over the eastern seaboards of Central Luzon and Southern Luzon (Aurora {Dilasag and Casiguran}, 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, and Mercedes}, Camarines Sur {Siruma, Tinambac, Lagonoy, Garchitorena, and Caramoan} and the northern and eastern coasts of Catanduanes {Pandan, Bagamanoc, Panganiban, Viga, Gigmoto, Baras, and Bato})
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 seaboards of northern Quezon Province and northern La Union; the remaining seaboard of Aurora; the western seaboard of Pangasinan; the northern seaboards of Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, and Catanduanes.
- Up to 3.5 m: The eastern seaboards of Catanduanes, Albay, and Sorsogon; the northern seaboard of Northern Samar.
- Up to 3.0 m: The seaboard of Zambales; the eastern seaboards of Eastern Samar, Dinagat Islands, and Siargao-Bucas Grande Islands.
Super Typhoon Rosal will continue to gradually weaken and may be downgraded into a typhoon within the day. It is expected to continue moving northwestward today, before turning north northwestward Thursday.
jpv
