Typhoon "Odette" (international name: "Rai") is moving westward and is likely emerge over the Panay Gulf and the Sulu Sea on Friday morning, Dec. 17, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said.
PAGASA said in its 2 a.m. weather bulletin that the typhoon will cross the Sulu Sea and pass near or in the vicinity of either Cuyo or Cagayancillo archipelago Friday noon (Dec. 17) before making landfall in the vicinity of northern or central portion of Palawan.
Odette maintained its strength packing maximum sustained winds of 175 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 240 kph. The typhoon was last seen in the vicinity of Ilog, Negros Occidental.
As of 2:00 a.m., Signal No. 4 was raised in the northern portion of Negros Oriental, and the southern portions of Negros Occidental.
Several areas remain under Signal No. 3 which includes the northern portion of Palawan including Cagayancillo and Cuyo Islands, the rest of Negros Oriental, the central portion of Negros Occidental, the southern portion of Cebu, Guimaras, the southern portion of Iloilo, and the southern portion of Antique.
Signal No. 2 remains hoisted over Sorsogon, Masbate including Ticao and Burias Islands, Romblon, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, and the rest of Palawan including Calamian and Kalayaan Islands, the western portion of Northern Samar, Samar, Biliran, Leyte, the western portion of Southern Leyte, the rest of Negros Occidental, the rest of Cebu including Camotes and Bantayan Islands, Bohol, and Siquijor, the extreme northern portion of Zamboanga del Norte and the northern portion of Misamis Occidental.
Meanwhile, areas under Signal No. 1 include Catanduanes, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Albay, Marinduque, the southern portion of Quezon and Batangas, the rest of Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, and the rest of Southern Leyte, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte, the northern portion of Surigao del Sur, Misamis Oriental, Camiguin, the northern portion of Bukidnon, the rest of northern portion of Zamboanga del Norte, the northern portion of Zamboanga del Sur, and the northern portion of Zamboanga Sibugay.
The areas under Signal No. 4 are likely to experience "very destructive" typhoon-force winds prevailing or expected within 12 hours while areas under Signal No. 3 are expected to have "destructive typhoon-force winds" within 18 hours while "damaging gale-to storm-force" winds in areas under Signal No. 2 are expected within 24 hours and strong winds are likely to prevail within 36 hours in areas under Signal No. 1.
After its expected landfall and re-emergence over the West Philippine Sea by Friday night (Dec. 17), Odette is likely to pass in the vicinity of Kalayaan Islands on Saturday, Dec. 18.
PAGASA said that the typhoon may still see some slight weakening as it interacts with rugged terrain of Panay Island, Negros Island and mainland Palawan in the coming hours, but it is expected to remain as a typhoon.
Re-intensification is likely once it emerges over the West Philippine Sea. However, continuous weakening may ensue beginning Sunday (Dec. 19) as the typhoon becomes exposed to increasing vertical wind shear and the surge of the northeast monsoon.