MANILA — State weather forecasters on Friday upgraded Kiyapo into a tropical storm as it continued to strengthen over the Philippine Sea, prompting the issuance of Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 2 in parts of Northern Luzon.
According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), Kiyapo was last spotted at 4 a.m. approximately 345 kilometers east of Aparri, Cagayan. It was moving west-northwest at 30 kilometers per hour, carrying sustained winds of 65 kph and gustiness of up to 80 kph.
Under TCWS No. 2 are Batanes, the Babuyan Islands, northern Cagayan municipalities from Santa Ana to Santa Praxedes, and Pagudpud in Ilocos Norte.
Signal No. 1, meanwhile, covers the remaining parts of Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Apayao, Abra, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Benguet, the rest of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, and portions of Aurora, including Dilasag, Casiguran, Dinalungan, and Dipaculao.
PAGASA warned that Kiyapo, together with the southwest monsoon, is producing strong to gale-force winds over large areas of Luzon and the Visayas, extending as far as Zamboanga del Norte and Davao Oriental. Gale warnings remain in force over the northern coastal waters of Northern Luzon, where sea travel remains hazardous.
The weather bureau projects the storm to pass close to the northeastern coast of mainland Cagayan before skirting or making landfall over the Babuyan Islands later in the day. Kiyapo is also expected to strengthen further into a severe tropical storm as it moves across extreme Northern Luzon.
Residents in Batanes, Cagayan, Apayao, and Ilocos Norte should prepare for heavy rainfall associated with the tropical cyclone. At the same time, the enhanced southwest monsoon is expected to bring periods of heavy rain over Palawan, Occidental Mindoro, Antique, Iloilo, Guimaras, Negros Occidental, and Negros Oriental.
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