Tropical cyclone wind warnings may be issued over extreme Northern Luzon in anticipation of strong winds from typhoon Mawar, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said on Wednesday, May 24.

According to PAGASA weather specialist Ana Clauren-Jorda, while there is a slim chance that Mawar will make landfall in the latest analysis, the cyclone’s outer circulation could still have a direct impact on extreme Northern Luzon.

Mawar has a radius of 320 kilometers as of Wednesday.

Tropical Wind Signal No. 1 and 2 may be raised over some parts of Luzon, particularly in the extreme Northern Luzon, she said.

(Screengrab from PAGASA)

The cyclone was last spotted approximately 2,170 kilometers east of Visayas, or still outside the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR).

Clauren-Jorda pointed out that Mawar’s classification was downgraded from super typhoon to typhoon after it weakened slightly, with maximum sustained winds of 175 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gusts up to 215 kph.

However, she noted that Mawar may re-intensify into a super typhoon as it enters the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) by Friday evening, May 26, or early Saturday morning, May 27.

The typhoon will be given the local name “Betty” once inside the PAR.

Clauren-Jorda said the typhoon may also strengthen the southwest monsoon, locally called “habagat,” which could bring rains to Southern Luzon and Western Visayas by weekend.