Signal No. 2 up in Batanes, Signal No. 1 in 6 Luzon areas as Betty moves northward

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 2 remains raised in Batanes as Typhoon Betty continues to move slowly over the sea east of the province, PAGASA said Tuesday evening.

In its 11 p.m. bulletin, the state weather bureau said the center of the eye of the tropical cyclone was last seen 330 kilometers east of Itbayat, Batanes.

It is slowly heading northwestward and has maximum sustained winds of 130 kilometers per hour (km/h) near the center and gustiness of up to 160 km/h.

Under Signal No. 2, winds of greater than 62 km/h and up to 88 km/h may be expected in at least 24 hours.

Signal No.1 is up in the following localities, where winds of  39 to 61 km/h or intermittent rains may be expected within the next 36 hours:

• Cagayan including Babuyan Islands
• Northern and eastern portions of Isabela (Santo Tomas, Santa Maria, Quezon, San Mariano, Dinapigue, Delfin Albano, San Pablo, Ilagan City, Benito Soliven, Tumauini, Cabagan, Palanan, Quirino, Divilacan, Gamu, Maconacon, Naguilian, Mallig)
• Eastern portion of Ilocos Norte (Piddig, Bangui, Vintar, Marcos, Pagudpud, Banna, Adams, Carasi, Dingras, Solsona, Dumalneg, Nueva Era)
• Apayao
• Northern portion of Kalinga (City of Tabuk, Balbalan, Pinukpuk, Rizal)
• Northeastern portion of Abra (Tineg, Lacub, Malibcong)

Heavy rainfall accumulating to 50 to 100 millimeters is expected in Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Abra, and the western portion of Benguet due to the typhoon.

PAGASA warned that “under these conditions, flooding and rain-induced landslides are possible, especially in areas that are highly or very highly susceptible to these hazards as identified in hazard maps and in localities that experienced considerable amounts of rainfall for the past several days”.

The enhanced Southwest Monsoon will bring occasional gusts over the Bicol Region, Western Visayas, Aurora, Quezon, the northern portion of mainland Palawan including Calamian and Cuyo Islands, Mindoro Provinces, Romblon, and the remaining areas of Ilocos Region and Cordillera Administrative Region.

A marine gale warning likewise remains in effect over the seaboards of Northern Luzon, eastern seaboards of Central Luzon, Southern Luzon, and Visayas.

Track

On the forecast track, Betty is expected to generally move slowly northward Tuesday evening until Wednesday over the waters east of Batanes. before it gradually accelerates north-northeastward on Thursday and northeastward or east-northeastward on Friday and Saturday.

The typhoon is forecast to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Thursday evening or Friday early morning, where it will pass very close or make landfall in the vicinity of the central Ryukyu Islands in Japan.

Betty is also seen to steadily weaken over the next five days due to cooler ocean waters and may be downgraded into a severe tropical storm on Thursday and into a tropical storm on Friday.

“However, given the extent of the effect of dry air intrusion on the typhoon, a faster weakening rate within the forecast period is not ruled out. Betty may begin its transition into a post-tropical cyclone on Saturday or Sunday, although this will occur outside the PAR region,” PAGASA said.—LDF, GMA Integrated News