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MANILA, Philippines – Liwayway (Lingling) intensified from a severe tropical storm into a typhoon, as expected, on Tuesday evening, September 3.

In a bulletin issued 11 pm on Tuesday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Liwayway now has maximum winds of 120 kilometers per hour (km/h) from the previous 110 km/h and gustiness of up to 150 km/h from the previous 135 km/h.

The typhoon is already 265 kilometers east northeast of Basco, Batanes. It slightly slowed down and is now moving north northeast at 10 km/h from the previous 15 km/h.

Liwayway will not make landfall in the country, but Batanes remains under Signal No. 1. This means potentially strong winds ranging from 30 km/h to 60 km/h are expected in the province.

Liwayway and the southwest monsoon or hanging habagat will also continue to bring rain. Here is the latest on the expected rainfall:

Tuesday night, September 3, to Wednesday night, September 4

• Light to heavy rain due to Liwayway
• Batanes
• Babuyan Group of Islands
• Scattered light to heavy rain due to the southwest monsoon
• Ilocos Region
• Cordillera Administrative Region
• Central Luzon
• Calabarzon
• Metro Manila
• northern part of Palawan including Calamian Islands
• Occidental Mindoro
• Oriental Mindoro

Wednesday night, September 4, to Thursday night, September 5

• Light to heavy rain due to Liwayway’s trough or extension and the southwest monsoon
• Batanes
• Babuyan Group of Islands

Flash floods and landslides remain possible in areas affected by Liwayway and the southwest monsoon. (READ: FAST FACTS: Tropical cyclones, rainfall advisories)

Travel is also risky in the seaboards of Luzon, especially in the seaboard of Batanes.

Based on Liwayway’s latest forecast track, it will leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Thursday afternoon or evening, September 5.

Meanwhile, PAGASA continues to monitor a low pressure area (LPA) outside PAR.

The LPA is now 1,180 kilometers east of Mindanao. It could enter PAR within 48 hours.

PAGASA Weather Specialist Ariel Rojas said the LPA only has a slim chance of developing into a tropical depression, so far, but the public should continue monitoring updates.

Liwayway is the Philippines’ 12th tropical cyclone for 2019, and the 2nd for September. (READ: LIST: PAGASA’s names for tropical cyclones in 2019)

The country 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 September to December:

• 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