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MANILA, Philippines – Tropical Storm Falcon (Danas) looped early Wednesday morning, July 17, and is now centered east of Aparri, Cagayan.

In a briefing at 8:30 am on Wednesday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Falcon is now 200 kilometers east of Aparri, Cagayan.

PAGASA Weather Specialist Loriedin de la Cruz explained in the briefing that Falcon had actually already left the landmass of Aparri, after it made landfall 12:30 am in Gattaran, Cagayan.

But a few hours after leaving Aparri’s landmass, the tropical storm looped and went back east of Cagayan, over water.

Falcon also slowed down, now moving west northwest at 20 kilometers per hour (km/h) from the previous 35 km/h.

But it maintained its strength, with maximum winds of 65 km/h and gustiness of up to 80 km/h. (READ: FAST FACTS: Tropical cyclones, rainfall advisories)

Tropical cyclone wind signals remain raised in parts of Luzon, but there are fewer areas under Signal No. 1.

Signal No. 2:

• Apayao
• Batanes
• Cagayan including Babuyan Group of Islands

Signal No. 1:

• Ilocos Norte
• Abra
• Kalinga
• Isabela
• Mountain Province
• Ifugao

Falcon also continues to enhance the southwest monsoon or hanging habagat, which is triggering rain as well.

In addition to that, PAGASA spotted a new low pressure area (LPA) located 170 kilometers west of Laoag City, Ilocos Norte. De La Cruz said this LPA may also enhance the southwest monsoon.

Here is the latest on the expected rainfall:

Wednesday, July 17

• Moderate to heavy rain
• Ilocos Region
• Cordillera Administrative Region
• Cagayan Valley
• Central Luzon
• Cavite
• Batangas
• Occidental Mindoro
• northern Palawan including Calamian and Cuyo islands
• Aklan
• Antique
• Capiz
• Iloilo
• Guimaras
• Light to heavy rain
• Metro Manila
• Calabarzon
• Bicol
• rest of Mimaropa
• rest of the Visayas

Thursday, July 18

• Moderate to heavy rain
• Ilocos Region
• Zambales
• Bataan
• Batangas
• Cavite
• Occidental Mindoro
• Light to heavy rain
• Metro Manila
• Cagayan Valley
• Cordillera Administrative Region
• rest of Central Luzon
• rest of Calabarzon
• rest of Mimaropa

Residents of those areas must stay on alert for possible flash floods and landslides, especially in high-risk zones.

Classes were suspended in some areas for Wednesday. (READ: #WalangPasok: Class suspensions, Wednesday, July 17, 2019)

Sea travel also remains risky in the seaboards of areas under Signal Nos. 1 and 2, and in the eastern seaboard of Central Luzon, the seaboard of Southern Luzon, and the eastern and western seaboards of the Visayas.

Falcon is expected to leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Friday, July 19.

Falcon is the Philippines’ 6th tropical cyclone for 2019. The first 5 were all tropical depressions. (READ: LIST: PAGASA’s names for tropical cyclones in 2019)

The Philippines gets an average of 20 tropical cyclones annually, but since 2019 is an El Niño year, only 14 to 18 tropical cyclones are expected.

Below is the estimated number of tropical cyclones from July to December:

• July – 2 or 3
• August – 2 to 4
• September – 2 to 4
• October – 2 or 3
• November – 1 or 2
• December – 0 or 1

PAGASA declared the start of the rainy season last June 14. – Rappler.com