The outer rainbands of Typhoon Kiko (Chanthu) began to be felt in the Cagayan Valley region as the tropical cyclone slightly intensified late Friday morning, September 10.

Kiko’s maximum sustained winds increased from 185 kilometers per hour to 195 km/h and its gustiness rose from 230 km/h to 240 km/h.

The typhoon could strengthen further up to 205 km/h on Friday, warned the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) in a press conference past 11 am.

As of late Friday morning, Kiko was already 220 kilometers northeast of Casiguran, Aurora, or 220 kilometers east of Tuguegarao City, Cagayan.

The typhoon was moving west northwest, maintaining its speed of 20 km/h.

PAGASA warned that rain from Kiko will persist throughout Friday until Saturday evening, September 11, with scattered to widespread floods and landslides possible.

Heavy to intense rain, with at times torrential rain

• northeastern part of Cagayan including Babuyan Islands
• Batanes

Heavy to intense rain

• northern part of Isabela
• rest of Cagayan

Moderate to heavy rain, with at times intense rain

• rest of Cagayan Valley
• Ilocos Region
• Cordillera Administrative Region
• northern and central parts of Aurora

A few more areas were added to the list of places covered by tropical cyclone wind signals as of 11 am on Friday:

Signal No. 3 (destructive typhoon-force winds)

• extreme northeastern part of Cagayan (Santa Ana, Gonzaga)
• eastern part of Babuyan Islands (Babuyan Island, Didicas Island, Camiguin Island, Pamuktan Island, Calayan Island, Panulitan Island)

Signal No. 2 (damaging gale-force to storm-force winds)

• Batanes
• rest of Babuyan Islands
• remaining eastern part of mainland Cagayan (Aparri, Camalaniugan, Lal-lo, Gattaran, Baggao, Peñablanca, Buguey, Santa Teresita, Gonzaga, Tuguegarao City, Iguig, Amulung, Alcala, Allacapan, Lasam, Ballesteros, Abulug)
• northeastern part of Isabela (San Pablo, Maconacon, Divilacan, Palanan)
• northeastern part of Apayao (Flora, Santa Marcela, Luna, Pudtol)

Signal No. 1 (strong winds)

• rest of mainland Cagayan
• eastern part of Ilocos Norte (Pagudpud, Adams, Dumalneg, Bangui, Vintar, Carasi, Nueva Era, Burgos, Pasuquin, Bacarra, Laoag City, Piddig, Solsona, Dingras, Sarrat, San Nicolas)
• rest of Apayao
• northern part of Kalinga (Balbalan, Pinukpuk, Tabuk City, Rizal)
• eastern part of Mountain Province (Paracelis)
• northeastern part of Abra (Tineg, Lacub, Malibcong)
• northwestern and southeastern parts of Isabela (Santa Maria, Quezon, Mallig, Roxas, San Manuel, Cabatuan, Aurora, Cauayan City, Angadanan, San Guillermo, Dinapigue, San Mariano, Cabagan, Santo Tomas, Delfin Albano, Tumauini, Quirino, Burgos, Gamu, Ilagan City, Luna, Reina Mercedes, Naguilian, Benito Soliven)
• northern part of Aurora (Dilasag, Casiguran)

Signal No. 4 remains the highest possible tropical cyclone wind signal for Kiko. PAGASA said this wind signal may be raised in parts of Babuyan Islands on Friday afternoon.

PAGASA also warned that there is a moderate risk of storm surges 1 to 2 meters high occurring on Friday.

It added that “rising seawater along with the high waves from the shoreline moving inland may cause flooding in the low-lying coastal localities of Batanes, Cagayan including Babuyan Islands, and Isabela.”

Trips in seaboards affected by Kiko remain dangerous.

Rough to very high seas (waves 2.5 to 10 meters high)

Travel risky for all vessels, mariners advised to remain in port

• seaboards of areas under Signal Nos. 1, 2, and 3

Moderate to rough seas (waves 1.2 to 3 meters high)

Travel risky for small vessels, mariners advised to avoid navigation

• eastern seaboards of Central Luzon and Southern Luzon

Kiko is still expected to pass over the coastal waters of the northeastern part of Cagayan on Friday afternoon or evening.

Then it may cross the vicinity of Babuyan Islands and Batanes or pass within their coastal waters from Friday evening until Saturday afternoon or evening.

PAGASA reiterated, however, that landfall in the northeastern part of Cagayan remains a possibility.

After passing through the vicinity of extreme Northern Luzon, Kiko may head north for the rest of Saturday until Sunday afternoon, September 12, and make landfall in the eastern part of Taiwan or pass within its coastal waters. Taiwan is still within the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).

Kiko may also weaken starting Sunday as it interacts with Taiwan’s rugged terrain, but it will remain a typhoon.

Finally, Kiko could exit PAR on Sunday afternoon or evening. Outside PAR, it will turn north northeast over the East China Sea. (READ: FAST FACTS: Tropical cyclones, rainfall advisories)

PAGASA

Kiko is also enhancing the southwest monsoon or hanging habagat, which is bringing moderate to heavy rain to these areas on Friday:

• Palawan
• Occidental Mindoro
• Western Visayas

The southwest monsoon may cause flash floods and landslides, as well as occasional gusty winds in coastal and upland localities of the affected areas.

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Kiko is the Philippines’ 11th tropical cyclone for 2021.

An average of 20 tropical cyclones form within or enter PAR each year. (READ: LIST: PAGASA’s names for tropical cyclones in 2021)

For the next six months, these are PAGASA’s estimates for the number of tropical cyclones inside PAR:

2021

• September – 2 or 3
• October – 2 or 3
• November – 2 or 3
• December – 1 or 2

2022

• January – 0 or 1
• February – 0 or 1

– Rappler.com