Typhoon Rosal weakens to signal no. 1 over Batanes

MANILA – Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 remains hoisted over Batanes as Typhoon Rosal slightly weakens over the sea east of Taiwan, the weather bureau said Saturday.

In its 5 a.m. advisory, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Rosal was last spotted 415 km. north of Itbayat, Batanes, packing maximum sustained winds of 150 kph near the center with gustiness of up to 185 kph and moving southwestward at 10 kph.

Rosal is expected to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) Saturday morning before heading towards the East China Sea.

The periphery of Rosal will bring strong to gale-force gusts over the Babuyan Islands, Ilocos Norte, Aurora, northern Quezon, Polillo Islands, Bicol Region, Romblon, Capiz, Iloilo, and Negros Occidental.

PAGASA said a gale warning is in effect over the seaboards of Northern Luzon and very rough seas are expected over the coastal waters of Batanes and the Babuyan Islands.

The rest of Luzon will have moderate to strong winds and moderate to rough seas, while light to moderate winds and slight to moderate seas will prevail over the Visayas and Mindanao.

The trough of Rosal will bring scattered rains over the Ilocos Region, Babuyan Islands, Apayao, Abra, and Benguet

Meanwhile, the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) will bring scattered rains and thunderstorms over the Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Norte, Dinagat Islands, Basilan, Tawi-Tawi, Palawan, Masbate, and Sorsogon.

The rest of the country will experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms due to localized thunderstorms.

PNA