MANILA, Philippines – The weather bureau placed Batanes under Signal No. 4 on Sunday evening, September 29, as Typhoon Julian (Krathon) intensified and moved closer to the province.
Julian’s maximum sustained winds increased from 120 kilometers per hour to 140 km/h, said the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) in a bulletin released past 8 pm on Sunday.
The typhoon’s gustiness is now up to 170 km/h from the previous 150 km/h.
Julian was already 150 kilometers east southeast of Basco, Batanes, or 190 kilometers east northeast of Calayan, Cagayan, as of 7 pm. It is still moving northwest at 15 km/h.
PAGASA said Julian is expected to move generally west northwest until Tuesday morning, October 1, over the Balintang and Bashi channels.
The typhoon could make landfall in Batanes, or pass very close to the province, on Monday morning or afternoon, September 30.
Then on Tuesday afternoon, it will be “sharply turning northward toward Taiwan,” where it could also make landfall on Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning, October 2. Taiwan is within the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).
PAGASA also said Julian may strengthen further in the next 48 hours, and possibly intensify into a super typhoon before hitting the southern part of Taiwan. “In this case, Julian will pass near or over Batanes during its intensification period,” added the weather bureau.
Here is the full list of areas under tropical cyclone wind signals as of 8 pm on Sunday:
Signal No. 4
Typhoon-force winds (118 to 184 km/h), significant to severe threat to life and property
- Batanes
Signal No. 3
Storm-force winds (89 to 117 km/h), moderate to significant threat to life and property
- Babuyan Islands
Signal No. 2
Gale-force winds (62 to 88 km/h), minor to moderate threat to life and property
- mainland Cagayan
- Apayao
- Ilocos Norte
Signal No. 1
Strong winds (39 to 61 km/h), minimal to minor threat to life and property
- Ilocos Sur
- La Union
- Abra
- Kalinga
- Ifugao
- Mountain Province
- Benguet
- Isabela
- Nueva Vizcaya
- Quirino
- northern and central parts of Aurora (Dilasag, Casiguran, Dinalungan, Dipaculao, Maria Aurora, Baler)
PAGASA added that “the wind flow coming towards the circulation” of the typhoon may bring strong to gale-force gusts to these areas:
Sunday, September 29, to Monday, September 30
- Pangasinan, Zambales, Bataan, Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Romblon, Bicol
Tuesday, October 1
- Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, northern and eastern parts of mainland Cagayan, eastern part of Isabela, Aurora, Zambales, Bataan, Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Romblon, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes
Meanwhile, Julian is still dumping moderate to torrential rain in Northern Luzon. Affected areas must stay on alert for floods and landslides.
Sunday evening, September 29, to Monday evening, September 30
- Intense to torrential rain (above 200 millimeters): Batanes, Babuyan Islands, Ilocos Norte
- Heavy to intense rain (100-200 mm): mainland Cagayan, Ilocos Sur, Abra
- Moderate to heavy rain (50-100 mm): Apayao, La Union, Mountain Province, Benguet, Pangasinan, Zambales, Bataan
Monday evening, September 30, to Tuesday evening, October 1
- Intense to torrential rain (above 200 mm): Batanes, Babuyan Islands
- Heavy to intense rain (100-200 mm): Ilocos Norte
- Moderate to heavy rain (50-100 mm): Ilocos Sur, Apayao, Abra
Tuesday evening, October 1, to Wednesday evening, October 2
- Heavy to intense rain (100-200 mm): Batanes
- Moderate to heavy rain (50-100 mm): Babuyan Islands
For the rest of Sunday, other areas in Cagayan Valley, the Ilocos Region, and the Cordillera Administrative Region not mentioned above may have rain with gusty winds from Julian.
The trough or extension of the typhoon can also trigger scattered rain and thunderstorms in Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, and much of Central Luzon.
The rest of the country, not affected by Julian, will continue to have generally fair weather, with just localized thunderstorms.
In addition, PAGASA warned Batanes, Babuyan Islands, and the northern part of mainland Cagayan that they face a moderate to high of life-threatening storm surges in the next 48 hours.
For coastal waters, the weather bureau is now warning of “high to phenomenal seas” in the seaboards of Batanes (waves more than 14 meters high) and the seaboards of Babuyan Islands (waves up to 8 meters high). Travel is risky for all vessels.
Very rough sea conditions are expected in the northern seaboard of Ilocos Norte (waves up to 5.5 meters high) as well as the northern seaboard of mainland Cagayan and the remaining seaboard of Ilocos Norte (waves up to 5 meters high). Travel is risky for most types of vessels.
Rough sea conditions are seen in the remaining seaboard of Cagayan and the seaboard of Ilocos Sur (waves up to 4 meters high), the seaboard of Isabela (waves up to 3.5 meters high), and the seaboard of the northern part of Aurora and the remaining seaboard of the Ilocos Region (waves up to 3 meters high). Small vessels should not venture out to sea.
After Julian’s possible landfall in Taiwan, it may turn north northeast and emerge over the waters east of Taiwan on Wednesday afternoon or evening. Then it could speed up north northeast over the East China Sea and leave PAR on Thursday, October 3.
Julian is the Philippines’ 10th tropical cyclone for 2024 and sixth tropical cyclone for September alone.
The other tropical cyclone that PAGASA has been monitoring, the tropical storm with the international name Jebi, is not expected to enter PAR. – Rappler.com
