Tropical Storm Kiyapo makes landfall over Cagayan province

Tropical Storm Kiyapo has made landfall over Camiguin Island in Calayan town, Cagayan province, the weather bureau said in its 5 p.m. bulletin on Friday.

Kiyapo was located over the coastal waters of Calayan Island, Calayan, Cagayan as of 4 p.m., moving west northwestward at 30 kilometers per hour (kph).

The cyclone packs maximum sustained winds of 85 kph near the center, and gustiness of up to 115 kph.

Wind Signal No. 2 is still hoisted in Batanes, the northern portion of Cagayan (Santa Ana, Gonzaga, Santa Teresita, Camalaniugan, Aparri, Ballesteros, Abulug, Pamplona, Sanchez-Mira, Claveria, Santa Praxedes, Buguey, Allacapan, Lal-Lo, Gattaran, Baggao, Lasam) including Babuyan Islands, the northern portion of Apayao (Luna, Santa Marcela, Calanasan, Pudtol, Flora), and the northern portion of Ilocos Norte (Pagudpud, Dumalneg, Adams, Bangui, Burgos, Vintar). Gale-force winds will prevail in these areas.

Strong winds will be experienced in areas where Signal No. 1 is hoisted: the rest of mainland Cagayan, Isabela, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, the rest of Apayao, Abra, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Benguet, the rest of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur and La Union, and the northern and central portions of Aurora (Dilasag, Casiguran, Dinalungan, Dipaculao).

Most of the country will still experience strong to gale-force gusts due to Kiyapo's periphery, and the southwest monsoon, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said.

It added that gale warning is still in effect over the northern seaboard of Northern Luzon.

Both Kiyapo and the southwest monsoon will cause heavy rainfall across Cagayan, Apayao, Ilocos Norte, Batanes, Isabela, Kalinga, Abra, Benguet, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Zambales, Occidental Mindoro, Palawan, Antique, Iloilo, Guimaras and Negros Occidental.

Meanwhile, PAGASA said Kiyapo will continue to intensify while traversing extreme Northern Luzon and could possibly reach the severe tropical storm category while passing the Babuyan Islands.

The cyclone will likely exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility either Friday night or on Saturday, PAGASA said.

-Philippine News Agency