MANILA, Philippines — (UPDATE – 12:11 p.m.) Tropical depression “Odette” slight accelerated as it continued to move west towards Cagayan province, where it is now expected to make landfall Thursday night, October 12.
The storm had earlier been forecast to reach land early Friday.
But late Thursday morning, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said Odette was moving west at 30 kilometers per hour, up from the previous 26 kph, although its strength remained constant, with maximum sustained winds of up to 55 kph near the center with gusts of up to 65 kph.
The storm was last tracked 540 km east of Tuguegarao City, Cagayan.
Tropical cyclone warning signal no. 1, meaning winds of 30-60 kilometers per hour are expected in 36 hours, is up over Batanes, Cagayan including Babuyan group of Islands, Isabela, Apayao, Abra, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur.
Pagasa said estimated rainfall within Odette’s 350-km diameters will be moderate to heavy, with sea travel risky over the northern and eastern seaboards of northern Luzon.
The weather bureau also warned of possible floods and landslides due to heavy rains from northern Luzon all the way down to the Visayas.
Provinces under signal No. 1 should expect rains with gusty winds.
The Ilocos region and the rest of Cagayan Valley and the Cordillera Administrative Region will have cloudy skies with moderate to heavy rains and thunderstorms. Similar weather conditions are forecast for the rest of Luzon, Metro Manila and the Visayas.
Mindanao, on the other hand, should expect partly cloudy to cloudy skies, apart from isolated rain showers, mostly in the afternoon or evening.