MANILA, Philippines — Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 is up in six areas, said the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).
The wind signal was raised ahead of direct effects from Super Typhoon Champi which entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Tuesday morning.
"Right now, Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal Number 1 is up in six areas including Batanes, the entire Babuyan Islands is now under Signal Number 1, as well as in the northern and eastern portions of mainland Cagayan, northeastern portion of Isabela, as well as in the northern portion of Ilocos Norte, including here in the northeastern portion of Catanduanes as well," Pagasa Weather Specialist Benison Estareja said in Filipino and English in the 5 p.m. press briefing on Tuesday.
Estareja said that Wind Signal No. 1 could be raised in more areas in Luzon, adding that the warning in other areas could be raised to Wind Signal No. 2 and 3.
Pagasa raises wind signals, which serve as warnings, before any direct impact from the weather disturbance.
Estareja said that the super typhoon's trough is bringing scattered rain showers and thunderstorms "overnight" in the Bicol Region and Eastern Visayas.
"The chance of rains in the succeeding hours is also high over Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, and Palawan but those will not last," he said.
As to the rest of the Philippines, including Metro Manila, Pagasa forecast partly cloudy skies and a chance of isolated rain showers and thunderstorms.
Citing Pagasa's latest track forecast, Estareja said "Rosal" was expected to move northwestward in the next four days. "So that is starting today, Tuesday, up to Friday," he said.
It could exit the PAR "by late Friday or early Saturday," he said.
Still citing the track forecast, he said that "Rosal" would not make landfall. It would instead skirt the coast on Thursday and Friday, given that it has a relatively wide radius, he said.
In the Tropical Cyclone Bulletin it issued at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Pagasa said that the center of the eye of "Rosal" was about 1,270 kilometers east of Central Luzon as of 4 p.m. "Rosal" was moving west northwestward at 25 kilometers per hour (km/h) with maximum sustained winds of 195 km/h near the center and gustiness reaching 240 km/h, based on this bulletin.
Also on Tuesday, Pagasa issued a gale warning covering the following: southern Luzon's eastern seaboard (the northern and eastern coasts of Catanduanes {Pandan, Bagamanoc, Panganiban, Viga, Gigmoto, Baras}); extreme northern Luzon's seaboards (Batanes and Babuyan Islands {Babuyan Island, Camiguin Island}); northern Luzon's eastern seaboard (the eastern coast of mainland Cagayan {Santa Ana, Gonzaga} and Isabela {Maconacon, Divilacan, Palanan}).
"Strong to gale-force winds are prevailing or expected to affect" these areas, Pagasa said.
The sea condition indicated in the gale warning was rough to very rough while the wave height indicated was 2.8 to 4.5 meters.
"Warnings are for sea areas within 30 nautical miles from the coast," Pagasa said in the gale warning.
Sea travel "is risky for small seacrafts (including all motor bancas of any type of tonnage)," it said in the gale warning wherein it advised mariners of those vessels to "remain in port or seek safe harbor."
For larger vessels, Pagasa said in the gale warning, "operating in these conditions" require experience and vessels that are properly equipped.
It advised "vessel masters, boat captains, ship owners / operators, and coast guard units concerned" to "take appropriate measures to ensure safety of life at sea."
