‘Lawin’ weakens slightly hours after making landfall

“Lawin” (internationally known as Haima) weakened from a supertyphoon to a typhoon while traversing Apayao province, some five hours after it made landfall in Cagayan, according to the bulletin issued at 5 a.m. on Thursday by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

But it was still a strong typhoon, packing 205 kilometers per hour near the center and gusts of up to 25 kph, Samuel Duran of PAGASA said in a televised news briefing at 5 a.m.

The following areas are still under tropical cyclone warning signals:

Signal No. 4 

Cagayan

Isabela

Apayao

Abra

Ilocos Norte

Ilocos Sur

Mountain Province

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

Metro Manila

Lawin maintained its speed of 25 kph, still moving west-northwest. It’s expected to exit the Luzon landmass through Ilocos Norte between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. on Thursday.

The typhoon is projected to exit the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) on Thursday night.

Heavy to intense rain is forecast within the 400-kilometer inner diameter of Lawin, while moderate to occasionally heavy rain is expected in the rest of its 800-km diameter, Duran said.

Meanwhile, sea travel remained risky over the eastern seaboard of Southern Luzon.

As of 4 a.m., Lawin was sighted in the vicinity of Kabugao, Apayao.

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