Tropical cyclone wind signal No. 1 remains hoisted over Batanes and Babuyan Group of Islands yesterday as severe tropical cyclone “Onyok” (international name “Mitag”) is seen to move close to the northern islands.
Although the possibility of landfall remains remote, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration weather specialist Raymond Ordinario said Onyok may skirt the islands of Batanes and Babuyan on its way to southern Japan.
Onyok was at 500 kilometers east of Tuguegarao City or 530 km east of Calayan, Cagayan at noon yesterday.
Ordinario said Onyok was upgraded to severe tropical storm category around 2 a.m. yesterday. At noon yesterday, it has maximum sustained winds of 100 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 125 kph.
It is further seen to intensify into a typhoon within 24 hours. A tropical cyclone is classified as a typhoon if it has maximum wind speed of 118 to 220 kph.
PAGASA said the trough or extension of Onyok may bring scattered light to moderate rain showers and thunderstorms over Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Sorsogon, Catanduanes, and Masbate.
Metro Manila and the rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers due to localized thunderstorms. (Ellayn Ruiz)
