By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
Typhoon Uwan reduced its speed and strength as it continued to hover over the West Philippine Sea away from Ilocos Region, according to the agency’s 5:00 p.m. bulletin.
Uwan (international name: Fung-Wong) was last located 175 km west of Sinait, Ilocos Sur, packing maximum sustained winds of 120 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 150 kph, as it moves northwestward at 10 kph.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) has already lifted Wind Signals No. 3, 4 and 5, yet Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 2 prevails in Batanes, Cagayan (including the Babuyan Islands), the northwestern portion of Isabela, Apayao, Abra, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Benguet, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, the western and central portions of Pangasinan, and the northern portion of Zambales.
Wind Signal No. 1 has been raised in the rest of Isabela, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, the rest of Pangasinan, Aurora, Nueva Ecija, the rest of Zambales, Bataan, Tarlac, Pampanga, Bulacan, Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon (including Polillo Islands), Occidental Mindoro (including Lubang Islands), Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Calamian Islands, Camarines Norte, and the northwestern portion of Camarines Sur.
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 7.0 m: The seaboards of Batanes, Ilocos Region, and Zambales.
• Up to 6.0 m: The seaboard of Cagayan.
• Up to 5.5 m: The seaboards of Isabela.
• Up to 4.5 m: The seaboards of northern Aurora and Lubang Island; the western seaboards of Batangas, Bataan, northern Occidental Mindoro and northern mainland Palawan; and the northern and western seaboards of Calamian Islands.
After entering the West Philippine Sea, Typhoon Uwan is expected to change direction multiple times—northwestward on Monday, northward on Tuesday (Nov. 11), and northeastward for the rest of the forecast period as it heads towards Taiwan.
The weather system may exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Monday night or Tuesday morning but may briefly re-enter PAR as it makes landfall over Taiwan, further weakening as it emerges over the waters of Ryukyu Islands on Thursday (Nov. 13).
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