'Falcon' maintains strength, seen to exit PAR Thursday night

MANILA, Philippines — Tropical Cyclone Wind Signals remain up over Batanes and the Babuyan Islands as Tropical Storm Falcon (Danas) moves northward, PAGASA said Thursday morning.

Batanes is under TCWS No. 2 , meaning winds of 61-120 kilometers per hour can be expected in the next 24 hours. The Babuyan Islands, meanwhile, are under TCWS No. 1, which means winds of 30-60 kph can be expected in the next 36 hours.

The northern portion of Cagayan is no longer under TCWS No.1.

As of early Thursday, the tropical storm has maintined strength was 230 kilometers northeast of Basco, Batanes—the northernmost province in Luzon, PAGASA said in its early morning Severe Weather Bulletin. 

It is moving north at 20 kph and may leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility by Thursday evening.

'Falcon' has maximum sustained winds of up to 65 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 80 kph.

"Today, moderate to at times heavy rains will be experienced over Ilocos Region, Zambales, Bataan, Cavite, Batangas, Occidental Mindoro, and northern Palawan including Calamian and Cuyo Islands. Meanwhile, light to moderate to at times heavy rains will be experienced over Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon," PAGASA also said.

Sea travel remains risky over the seaboards of Batanes and Babuyan, the seaboards of Luzon, and the western and eastern seabords of the Visayas, the weather bureau also said.

PAGASA is also monitoring a low pressure area 265 km west of Sinait, Ilocos Sur that may develop into a tropical depression within 48 hours.

Forecast Positions

 • Friday morning: 680 km north northeast of Basco, Batanes (Outside PAR)
•  Saturday morning:1,280 km north northeast of Basco, Batanes (Outside PAR)