By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
Typhoon Uwan maintained its strength as it continued to move northward outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), according to the agency’s 5:00 p.m. bulletin.
Uwan (international name: Fung-Wong) was last located 365 km west of Calayan, Cagayan, packing maximum sustained winds of 120 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 150 kph, as it moves northward at 15 kph.
Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 2 prevails in Batanes, Cagayan (including the Babuyan Islands), Apayao, Abra, Kalinga, the western portion of Mountain Province, the northwestern portion of Benguet, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, and the northern portion of La Union.
Wind Signal No. 1 has been raised in Isabela, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, the rest of Benguet, Ifugao, the rest of Mountain Province, the rest of La Union, Pangasinan, Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Zambales, Bataan, Tarlac, Pampanga, Bulacan, Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, the northern and western portions of Batangas, Rizal, and the northern portion of Quezon (including Polillo Islands and Lubang Islands).
PAGASA also issued a gale warning advisory over various seaboards in Luzon, noting risky travel for all types of vessels due to very rough seas and high waves in these coastal waters:
• Up to 8.0 m: The seaboards of Ilocos Region.
• Up to 6.0 m: The seaboards of Zambales, Batanes, and Babuyan Islands.
• Up to 5.5 m: The seaboards of mainland Cagayan; the western seaboard of Bataan.
• Up to 4.5 m: The seaboard of Isabela and Lubang Islands; the western seaboard of Batangas.
After exiting PAR on Tuesday morning, Typhoon Uwan is expected to maintain its northward track before turning northeastward for most of the forecast period, further weakening into a severe tropical storm.
The state weather bureau notes that Uwan may re-enter PAR tomorrow as it makes landfall over Taiwan on Wednesday (Nov. 12) prior to emerging over the waters near Ryukyu Islands on Thursday (Nov. 13).
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