Typhoon "Odette" (international name: "Rai") has made its first landfall over Siargao Island, Surigao del Norte at around 1:30 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 16, said the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).
PAGASA said that after its landfall over Surigao del Norte, Odette will likely continue to move west-northwestward or westward and make another landfall over Dinagat Islands Thursday afternoon.
It is expected to move westward and cross or make a few more landfalls over several Central and Western Visayas provinces before emerging over the Sulu Sea on Friday morning, Dec. 17.
"After passing near or in the vicinity of either Cuyo or Cagayancillo archipelago, Odette is forecast to cross the northern or central portion of Palawan tomorrow afternoon or evening (Dec. 17) before emerging over the West Philippine Sea," it added.
As of 2 p.m., tropical cyclone wind signal number 4 remains hoisted over Southern Leyte, southwestern portion of Leyte, Bohol, central and southern portions of Cebu, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte including Siargao and Bucas Grande Islands.
Several areas also remain under Signal No. 3. These are the rest of southern portion of Leyte, northern and extreme southern portions of Cebu, Negros Oriental, Siquijor, southern and central portions of Negros Occidental, Guimaras, southern portion of Iloilo, and the southern portion of Antique, northern portion of Agusan del Norte, and the northern portion of Surigao del Sur.
Meanwhile, Signal No. 2 was still up in Albay, Sorsogon, Masbate including Ticao and Burias Islands, Romblon, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, mainland Palawan including Kalayaan, Balabac, Cuyo, Calamian and Cagayancillo Islands, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Samar, Biliran, the rest of Leyte, the rest of Cebu, the rest of Negros Occidental, the rest of Iloilo, Capiz, Aklan, the rest of Antique, the rest of Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Sur, the rest of Agusan del Norte, extreme northern portion of Zamboanga del Norte, extreme northern portion of Zamboanga del Sur, Misamis Occidental, northern portion of Lanao del Norte, Misamis Oriental, Camiguin, northern portion of Bukidnon, and the northern portion of Lanao del Sur.
Areas under Signal No. 1 are Catanduanes, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, the rest of Albay, Marinduque, southern portion of Quezon, Batangas, northern portion of Davao Oriental, northern portion of Davao de Oro, northern portion of Davao del Norte, the rest of Bukidnon, the rest of Lanao del Norte, the rest of Lanao del Sur, the rest of northern portion of Zamboanga del Norte, the rest of northern portion of Zamboanga del Sur, and northern portion of Zamboanga Sibugay.
The typhoon has further intensified with maximum sustained winds of 195 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 240 kph. It is moving faster at 30 kph west-northwestward.
"Odette may see some slight weakening as it crosses northeastern Mindanao, Visayas, and Palawan, but it is forecast to remain as a typhoon. Re-intensification is likely once Odette emerges over the West Philippine Sea," PAGASA said.