THE state weather bureau placed on Tuesday 13 areas in Luzon under Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal Number 1 as Typhoon Lawin (Haima) has slightly accelerated while moving west northwest.
The typhoon is expected to intensify further before making landfall over Cagayan area by Thursday morning (October 20), the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said.
"Medyo malayo pa sa dagat itong bagyo at malayo pa sa kalupaan, pero may chance pa rin na maging supertyphoon itong si Lawin," Pagasa weather forecaster Aldczar Aurelio said.
"Pero kahit na hindi ito maging supertyphoon, sapat na ang lakas nito para makapaminsala," he added.
Pagasa hoisted signal number 1 over Cagayan, including Calayan group of islands, Apayao, Kalinga, Mt. Province, Ifugao, Isabela, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, Northern Aurora, Polillo Islands and Catanduanes.
These areas are expected to experience 30 to 60 kilometers per hour (kph) of winds in the next 36 hours, said Pagasa.
As of 10 a.m. Tuesday (October 18), Lawin was located at 950 kilometers (km) east of Daet, Camarines Norte.
Pagasa said Lawin has maximum sustained winds of up to 185 kph near the center and gusts of up to 230 kph.
The typhoon was forecast to move west northwest at 25 kph and may exit the Philippine area of responsibility early morning of Friday (October 21).
Pagasa warned that sea travel is risky over the northern and western seaboards of northern Luzon, western seaboard of Central Luzon and the eastern seaboard of Samar.
"Mga 700 kilometers ang diameter ng ating bagyo at although tatama ito sa Cagayan area, malawak ito at maapektuhan pa din ang Central Luzon area," Aurelio said.
He added that if Typhoon Lawin will maintain its direction, Metro Manila will not be affected but is expected to experience cloudy skies with occasional rainshowers from Thursday until Friday.(Third Anne Peralta-Malonzo/Sunnex)