Typhoon Kiko (Chanthu) maintained its strength early Friday morning, September 10, while threatening extreme Northern Luzon.

Kiko was last spotted 235 kilometers east northeast of Casiguran, Aurora, said the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) in its 8 am bulletin on Friday.

The typhoon was moving northwest at the same speed of 20 kilometers per hour (km/h).

It continues to have maximum sustained winds of 185 km/h and gustiness of up to 230 km/h.

PAGASA warned that starting Friday until Saturday evening, September 11, rain from Kiko will batter Northern Luzon. Scattered to widespread floods and landslides may hit the area.

Heavy to intense rain, with at times torrential rain

• Cagayan including Babuyan Islands
• Batanes
• northern part of Isabela

Moderate to heavy rain, with at times intense rain

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

The state weather bureau also updated the areas covered by tropical cyclone wind signals as of 8 am on Friday.

Signal No. 3 (destructive typhoon-force winds)

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

Signal No. 1 (strong winds)

• rest of mainland Cagayan
• eastern part of Ilocos Norte (Pagudpud, Adams, Dumalneg, Bangui, Vintar, Carasi, Nueva Era, Burgos)
• 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 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.”

Kiko is affecting certain seaboards on Friday as well.

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.

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Cagayan ‘preparing for the worst’ as Typhoon Kiko nears

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

Aside from Kiko, PAGASA is also monitoring the effects of the enhanced southwest monsoon or hanging habagat.

The southwest monsoon is being enhanced by Kiko and also by Severe Tropical Storm Jolina (Conson), which left PAR on Thursday evening, September 9.

Monsoon rain and occasional gusts are expected in Central Luzon, Southern Luzon, and Western Visayas on Friday. Flash floods and landslides are possible.

PAGASA’s next advisory on the southwest monsoon will be issued at 11 am on Friday.

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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