Kalayaan Islands have been placed under Signal No. 1 as Typhoon Tino (international name: Kalmaegi) left the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR), the state weather bureau PAGASA said.
As of 4 a.m. on Thursday, November 6, PAGASA said that Tino was estimated to be 265 kilometers north-northwest of Pag-asa Island, Kalayaan, Palawan, officially outside of PAR.
The typhoon is packing maximum sustained winds of 155 kilometers near the center and gusts of up to 190 kilometers per hour (kph), moving west-northwestward at 35 kph toward central Vietnam.
Signal No. 1, which warns of strong winds ranging from 39 to 61 kph within 36 hours, remains in effect over the entire Kalayaan Island Group.
PAGASA said minimal to minor threats to life and property are possible in these areas.
Furthermore, the extensive reach of Tino’s outer rainbands and the surge of the northeast monsoon, locally known as amihan, are expected to bring strong wind gusts over several other provinces not directly under a wind signal.
Batanes
Babuyan Islands
Ilocos Norte
Pangasinan
Zambales
Bataan
Cavite
Batangas
Occidental Mindoro
Oriental Mindoro
Romblon
Palawan
Antique
Mariners were strongly advised to exercise extreme caution as sea conditions are expected to be hazardous. Up to rough seas 4 meters are forecast over the northern seaboards of Kalayaan Islands, while rough seas up to 3.0 m also affect the western seaboards of Palawan.
Mariners of small seacrafts, including all types of motorbancas, are explicitly advised not to venture out to sea under these rough conditions.
PAGASA forecasts Tino to slightly weaken before making landfall over central Vietnam within the next 24 hours, after which it is expected to dissipate due to terrain interaction rapidly.
‘Fung-Wong’ intensifies into a tropical storm
In the eastern portion of the Philippines, former Tropical Depression ‘Fung-Wong’ has intensified into a tropical storm.
As of 5 a.m., it is estimated to be at 1,715 kilometers east of northeastern Mindanao, moving northwestward at 20 kph.
It currently packs maximum sustained winds of 65 kph and gustiness of up to 80 kph.
PAGASA warned that Fung-Wong is expected to intensify rapidly, reaching typhoon category by Friday, November 7, and potentially strengthening into a super typhoon by Saturday, November 8.
The weather bureau added that the cyclone is expected to enter the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) late tomorrow evening or early Saturday morning, at which point it will be assigned the domestic name ‘Uwan.’
Looming threat to Luzon. Based on Fung-Wong’s forecast track, PAGASA said that there is an increasing probability of the cyclone making landfall on Monday, November 10, over northern or central Luzon at or near its peak lifetime intensity.
In anticipation of the powerful cyclone, PAGASA has warned that the highest possible alert, Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 5, may be hoisted over the affected areas.