Typhoon Betty Maintains Strength, Poses Severe Weather Threats

Typhoon Betty continues to display its strength as it travels west-northwestward over the waters east of Batanes, presenting various hazards affecting land and coastal areas.

Current Location and Strength

As of now, the center of Typhoon Betty was estimated to be at 315 km East of Basco, Batanes (20.5 °N, 125. °E ), moving west-northwestward at a speed of 10 km/h. It possesses maximum sustained winds of 150 km/h near the center and gustiness of up to 185 km/h.

Track and Intensity Outlook

Betty is forecast to move slowly between today and tomorrow as it veers northward over the waters east of Batanes. The typhoon will then gradually speed up north-northeastward on Thursday and northeastward on Friday, bringing its center over the waters southeast of the Ryukyu Islands. Typhoon Betty may exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility late Thursday or early Friday morning.

The typhoon is predicted to gradually weaken over the next five days due to factors like cooler ocean waters, dry air intrusion, and increasing vertical wind shear. Betty could be downgraded to a severe tropical storm late Thursday or early Friday, and further to a tropical storm late Friday or early Saturday. A faster weakening rate within the forecast period due to the effects of dry air intrusion is not out of the question.

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signals

TCWS No. 2

• Batanes and the northeastern portion of Cagayan (Santa Ana, Gonzaga) including Babuyan Islands.

TCWS No. 1

• The rest of mainland Cagayan,
• the northern and eastern portions of Isabela (Santo Tomas, Santa Maria, Quezon, San Mariano, Dinapigue, Delfin Albano, San Pablo, Ilagan City, Benito Soliven, Tumauini, Cabagan, Palanan, Quirino, Divilacan, Gamu, Maconacon, Naguilian, Mallig),
• the eastern portion of Ilocos Norte (Piddig, Bangui, Vintar, Marcos, Pagudpud, Banna, Adams, Carasi, Dingras, Solsona, Dumalneg, Nueva Era),
• Apayao,
• the northern portion of Kalinga (City of Tabuk, Balbalan, Pinukpuk, Rizal), and
• the northeastern portion of Abra (Tineg, Lacub, Malibcong).

Residents are urged to stay vigilant and heed local warnings and advisories to ensure their safety.

Hazards Affecting Land Areas

Heavy Rainfall Outlook

Forecasted accumulated rainfall is anticipated to affect various regions:

From today to tomorrow morning:

• 50-100 mm: Batanes, the eastern portion of Babuyan Islands, the northeastern portion of mainland Cagayan, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, and the northern portion of La Union.

From tomorrow morning to Thursday morning:

• 50-100 mm: Ilocos Sur and La Union.

With these rainfall forecasts, the possibility of flooding and rain-induced landslides looms, particularly in areas highly or very highly susceptible to these hazards, as identified in hazard maps. Regions that have experienced considerable rainfall over the past several days are also at risk.