Typhoon Kiko (Chanthu) slightly weakened before dawn on Sunday, September 12, as it moved over the sea east of central Taiwan.

Taiwan is within the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).

Kiko’s maximum sustained winds decreased from 185 kilometers per hour to 175 km/h, while its gustiness went down from 230 km/h to 215 km/h.

It may weaken further on Sunday, but will remain a typhoon, said the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) in its 5 am bulletin.

At its peak, Kiko had maximum sustained winds of 215 km/h – almost a super typhoon. A super typhoon has maximum sustained winds exceeding 220 km/h. (READ: FAST FACTS: Tropical cyclones, rainfall advisories)

Kiko was last spotted 245 kilometers north of Itbayat, Batanes, moving north at 15 km/h.

If the typhoon maintains its direction and speed, it would leave PAR on Sunday afternoon or evening.

Kiko had made landfall in Ivana, Batanes, at 8:30 am on Saturday, September 11.

Only Batanes and the northern part of Babuyan Islands are left under tropical cyclone wind signals due to Kiko as of 5 am on Sunday. The highest tropical cyclone wind signal raised had been Signal No. 4.

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

• northern part of Batanes (Itbayat)

Signal No. 1 (strong winds)

• rest of Batanes
• northern part of Babuyan Islands (Babuyan Island, Calayan Island, Panuitan Island)

The two areas are also the only ones still experiencing rain brought by Kiko. Scattered to widespread floods and landslides remain possible.

Heavy to intense rain, with at times torrential rain

• Batanes

Moderate to heavy rain, with at times intense rain

• Babuyan Islands

There are no more storm surge warnings, but PAGASA said “hazardous surf conditions associated with high waves reaching the coast may still cause flooding in some low-lying coastal localities of Batanes.”

The seaboards of Batanes and Babuyan Islands have rough to high seas on Sunday, with waves 2.5 to 6 meters high. Travel remains risky for all vessels.

PAGASA

Meanwhile, Kiko is still enhancing the southwest monsoon or hanging habagat, which is affecting Luzon on Sunday.

Rain from the enhanced southwest monsoon could trigger flash floods or landslides, warned PAGASA.

Monsoon rain

• Ilocos Region
• Cordillera Administrative Region
• Zambales
• Bataan

Scattered rain showers and thunderstorms

• Metro Manila
• Laguna
• Rizal
• rest of Cagayan Valley
• rest of Central Luzon

The state weather bureau added that occasional gusts are expected in coastal and upland areas of the following:

• parts of Northern Luzon that are not under tropical cyclone wind signals
• Central Luzon
• Metro Manila
• Calabarzon
• Mimaropa

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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