Supertyphoon ‘Lawin’ keeps strength and speed as it cuts through Apayao

Supertyphoon “Lawin” (internationally known as “Haima”) continued to cut through Apayao province three hours after making landfall at Baguio Point in Peñablanca in Cagayan province, according to the bulletin issued at 2 a.m. on Thursday by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

Earlier, as of 1 a.m., PAGASA spotted the eye of the supertyphoon in the vicinity of Solana in Cagayan. It maintained its strength, packing sustained winds of 225 kph near the center with a gustiness of up to 315 kph. It also kept its speed, moving west-northwest at 25 kph.

“Lawin” was estimated to bring heavy to intense rainfall within a 400-km radius and moderate to occasionally heavy rains beyond that.

At its current speed, it was predicted to exit the land mass of Luzon via Ilocos Norte sometime between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. on Thursday. It would possibly exit the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) by evening of the same day.

Meanwhile, PAGASA warned that sea travel risky over the eastern seaboard of Southern Luzon and the northern and eastern seaboards of Samar.

The tropical cyclone warning signal hoisted over Albay has been lifted. But the following warning sigals remain:

Signal No. 5

Cagayan

Northern Isabela

Apayao

Northern Kalinga

Northern Abra

Ilocos Norte

Signal No. 4

Rest of Isabela

Rest of Abra

Ilocos Sur

Mountain Province

Rest of Kalinga

Ifugao

Calayan Group of Islands

Signal No. 3

La Union

Benguet

Nueva Vizcaya

Quirino

Northern Aurora

Signal No. 2

Batanes Group of Islands

Pangasinan

Rest of of Aurora

Tarlac

Nueva Ecija

Northern Zambales

Signal No. 1

Rest of Zambales

Bulacan

Bataan

Pampanga

Rizal

Quezon including Polillo Island

Cavite

Laguna

Batangas

Camarines Norte

Camarines Sur

Catanduanes

Metro Manila

PAGASA also forecast the following position of the supertyphoon:

Within 24 hours of Thursday: 440 km west-northwest of Laoag City, Ilocos Norte (outside PAR)

Saturday morning:865 km west-northwest of Basco, Batanes (outside PAR)

Sunday morning: 980 km north-northwest of Basco, Batanes (outside PAR)

Monday morning:1,015 km north of Basco, Batanes (outside PAR)