Twelve areas were placed under tropical cyclone wind signal number 1 as tropical depression Florita moved closer to northern Luzon, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Monday morning, Aug. 22.
The areas that were placed under Signal No. 1 were:
* Cagayan
* Isabela
* Quirino
* Nueva Vizcaya
* Apayao
* Abra
* Kalinga
* Mountain Province
* Ifugao
* Ilocos Norte
* Ilocos Sur
* Northern portion of Aurora (Dilasag, Casiguran, Dinalungan, Dipaculao)
PAGASA located the center of the eye of Florita 310 kilometers (km) east of Casiguran, Aurora at around 4 a.m.
It has maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 70 kph and was moving at 20 kph west-southwestward.
Florita will likely move west-southwestward or westward in the next 12 hours before turning west-northwestward or northwestward this afternoon or evening, PAGASA said.
It is still expected to make landfall “in the vicinity of the east coast of Cagayan or northern Isabela” on Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 23.
“Afterwards, the center of Florita will traverse the Babuyan Channel and may pass close or make landfall in the vicinity of Babuyan Islands tomorrow evening (Aug. 23) or early morning of Wednesday (Aug. 24) before emerging over the West Philippine Sea,” PAGASA said.
It added that the weather disturbance may further intensify into a tropical storm Monday.
“There is a potential for slight weakening as Florita crosses the northern portion of northern Luzon due to frictional effects of the rugged terrain, but the tropical cyclone will likely remain a tropical storm throughout the passage over land,” PAGASA said.