MANILA, Philippines – Typhoon Odette (Rai) started passing over the Sulu Sea, between the islands of Cuyo and Cagayancillo in Palawan, early Friday morning, December 17.

Odette was located 155 kilometers west southwest of Iloilo City or 90 kilometers south southeast of Cuyo, said the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) in its 8 am bulletin on Friday.

The typhoon slowed down, moving west at 25 kilometers per hour from the previous 35 km/h. It is heading for Palawan, where it could make landfall in the province’s northern or central portion on Friday morning or afternoon.

So far, Odette has made landfall eight times, causing massive floods and leaving a trail of destruction:

Thursday, December 16

• Siargao Island, Surigao del Norte – 1:30 pm
• Cagdianao, Dinagat Islands – 3:10 pm
• Liloan, Southern Leyte – 4:50 pm
• Padre Burgos, Southern Leyte – 5:40 pm
• President Carlos P. Garcia, Bohol – 6:30 pm
• Bien Unido, Bohol – 7:30 pm
• Carcar, Cebu – 10 pm

Friday, December 17

• La Libertad, Negros Oriental – 12 am

Odette maintained its strength early Friday morning, with maximum sustained winds of 155 km/h and gustiness of up to 235 km/h. It could slightly weaken in the coming hours, but it is likely to remain a typhoon.

On Friday, rainfall is heaviest in Western Visayas, Palawan, and Negros Oriental, but several other regions and provinces also continue to see rain. Floods and landslides remain possible.

Below is the latest rainfall forecast for both Friday and Saturday, December 18.

Friday, December 17

• Heavy to torrential rain – Western Visayas, Palawan (including Calamian, Cuyo, Cagayancillo Islands), Negros Oriental
• Moderate to heavy rain, with at times intense rain – Bicol, Zamboanga Peninsula, Quezon, rest of Mimaropa
• Light to moderate rain, with at times heavy rain – Metro Manila, Cagayan Valley, Cordillera Administrative Region, Caraga, Northern Mindanao, Aurora, Lanao del Sur, rest of Visayas

Saturday, December 18

• Heavy to torrential rain – Kalayaan Islands
• Moderate to heavy rain – Catanduanes, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Quezon, Aurora
• Light to moderate rain, with at times heavy rain – Cagayan Valley, Cordillera Administrative Region, Metro Manila, Eastern Visayas, Rizal, Bulacan, mainland Palawan including Calamian Islands, rest of Bicol

Meanwhile, here are the areas covered by tropical cyclone wind signals as of 8 am on Friday:

Signal No. 3 (destructive typhoon-force winds)

• northern part of Palawan (El Nido, Taytay, Araceli, Dumaran, Roxas, San Vicente, Puerto Princesa City) including Cagayancillo and Cuyo Islands
• Guimaras
• southern part of Iloilo (Tigbauan, Leon, Tubungan, Guimbal, Igbaras, Miagao, San Joaquin)
• southern part of Antique (Patnongon, San Remigio, San Jose, Belison, Sibalom, Hamtic, Tobias Fornier, Anini-y)

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

• southern part of Oriental Mindoro (Bansud, Bulalacao, Roxas, Bongabong, Mansalay)
• southern part of Occidental Mindoro (Rizal, San Jose, Magsaysay, Calintaan, Sablayan)
• western part of Romblon (Looc, Ferrol, Santa Fe, San Jose, Alcantara, Santa Maria, Odiongan, San Agustin, San Andres, Calatrava)
• central part of Palawan (Narra, Sofronio Española, Quezon, Aborlan, Rizal, Brooke’s Point) including Kalayaan and Calamian Islands
• Aklan
• Capiz
• rest of Iloilo
• rest of Antique
• Guimaras
• Negros Oriental
• Negros Occidental
• southern part of Cebu (Toledo City, Pinamungahan, San Fernando, Carcar City, Aloguinsan, Barili, Sibonga, Dumanjug, Argao, Ronda, Alcantara, Moalboal, Badian, Dalaguete, Alegria, Alcoy, Malabuyoc, Boljoon, Oslob, Ginatilan, Samboan, Santander)

Signal No. 1 (strong winds)

• western part of Camarines Sur
• Albay (Del Gallego, Ragay, Lupi, Sipocot, Libmanan, Cabusao, Calabanga, Bombon, Magarao, Canaman, Pamplona, Camaligan, Gainza, Pasacao, Naga City, Milaor, San Fernando, Pili, Ocampo, Sagñay, Buhi, Iriga City, Baao, Bula, Minalabac, Nabua, Balatan, Bato)
• Sorsogon
• Masbate including Ticao and Burias Islands
• Marinduque
• southern part of Quezon (San Antonio, Tiaong, Candelaria, Sariaya, Dolores, Lucena City, Pagbilao, Padre Burgos, Atimonan, Agdangan, Unisan, Gumaca, Plaridel, Pitogo, Lopez, Guinayangan, Buenavista, Catanauan, General Luna, Macalelon, Mulanay, San Narciso, San Andres, San Francisco, Tagkawayan, Calauag, Quezon, Alabat, Tayabas City, Perez)
• rest of Occidental Mindoro including Lubang Islands
• rest of Oriental Mindoro
• rest of Palawan
• rest of Romblon
• Batangas
• western part of Northern Samar (Lope de Vega, Catarman, Bobon, San Jose, Rosario, Lavezares, Biri, Allen, Victoria, San Isidro, San Antonio, Capul, San Vicente)
• western part of Samar (Calbayog City, Santa Margarita, Gandara, Pagsanghan, Tarangnan, San Jorge, Catbalogan City, Zumarraga, Daram, Talalora, Villareal, Santa Rita, Santo Niño, Almagro, Tagapul-an)
• Bohol
• Biliran
• Leyte
• western part of Southern Leyte (Sogod, Tomas Oppus, Bontoc, Malitbog, Padre Burgos, Macrohon, Maasin City, Limasawa)
• rest of Cebu including Bantayan and Camotes Islands
• Siquijor
• northern part of Zamboanga del Norte (Baliguian, Gutalac, Kalawit, Labason, Liloy, Tampilisan, Salug, Godod, Bacungan, Sindangan, Siayan, Jose Dalman, Manukan, President Manuel A. Roxas, Katipunan, Sergio Osmeña Sr., Dipolog City, Polanco, Piñan, Mutia, Dapitan City, La Libertad, Sibutad, Rizal)
• northern part of Misamis Occidental (Don Victoriano Chiongbian, Aloran, Oroquieta City, Lopez Jaena, Concepcion, Sapang Dalaga, Calamba, Baliangao, Plaridel)

PAGASA also said there is a “moderate to high risk” of storm surges up to 3 meters high on Friday. Storm surges “may cause life-threatening flooding in the low-lying coastal areas of Negros provinces, Iloilo, Antique, Guimaras, and several localities in the northern portion of Palawan, including Calamian, Cuyo, and Cagayancillo Islands.”

Moderate to very high seas persist in the seaboards of areas under tropical cyclone wind signals. Waves are 1.2 to 10 meters high, making travel risky for all vessels.

A new gale warning was also issued at 8 am due to Odette and the northeast monsoon or hanging amihan. This gale warning covers coastal waters not under any wind signal in the seaboards of Northern Luzon and in the eastern seaboard of the Philippines. Waters are rough to very rough, with waves 2.8 to 4.5 meters high.

The remaining seaboards of the Philippines not under any wind signal also continue to have moderate to rough seas. Waves are 1.2 to 3.1 meters high and conditions remain risky for small vessels.

After its expected landfall in Palawan, Odette is seen to emerge over the West Philippine Sea on Friday evening, where it might regain strength. Then it could pass in the vicinity of Kalayaan Islands on Saturday.

The typhoon is projected to leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Saturday morning or early afternoon.

Outside PAR, it could start weakening on Sunday, December 19, as it “becomes exposed to increasing vertical wind shear and the surge of the northeast monsoon.”

Odette is the Philippines’ 15th tropical cyclone for 2021. Around 20 form within or enter PAR each year.

Here are PAGASA’s estimates for tropical cyclones in the coming months:

• December 2021 – 1 or 2
• January 2022 – 0 or 1
• February 2022 – 0 or 1
• March 2022 – 0 or 1
• April 2022 – 0 or 1
• May 2022 – 1 or 2

– Rappler.com