‘Liwayway’ intensifies; Signal No. 1 up over Batanes

MANILA, Philippines – Batanes is still under Signal No. 1 as Tropical Storm Liwayway further intensified, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Tuesday morning.

As of 4 a.m. Tuesday, Pagasa said the center of Liwayway was estimated at 255 kilometers (km) east of Calayan, Cagayan, packing maximum sustained winds of 85 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of up to 105 kph.

As Signal No. 1 remains hoisted over Batanes, Pagasa advised residents to take precautionary actions against potentially strong winds.

The state weather bureau said Liwayway will bring light to moderate with intermittent heavy rains over Apayao, Cagayan, including Babuyan Islands, and Batanes.

The southwest monsoon, meanwhile, will bring scattered light to moderate rains with at times heavy rain showers over Ilocos Region, Central Luzon, Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Panay Island, Guimaras and the rest of Cordillera Administrative Region.

Liwayway remains less likely to make landfall and is forecast to leave the Philippine area of responsibility between Wednesday evening and early Thursday morning./gsg