Leon maintains strength; Batanes, MIMAROPA, Western Visayas to have monsoon rains

Intermittent gusts due to the Southwest Monsoon (Habagat) enhanced by Tropical Storm Leon (international name: Noul) may be experienced over Batanes, Babuyan Islands, MIMAROPA, and Western Visayas on Wednesday, PAGASA sad in its 11 a.m. severe weather bulletin.

Leon maintained its strength while slightly accelerating over the West Philippine Sea.

PAGASA said no tropical cyclone wind signal has been issued, but the Southwest Monsoon is expected to bring moderate to heavy rains over Aurora, Palawan (Calamian, Cuyo, and Kalayaan Islands), Mindoro Provinces, and Western Visayas. 

Light to moderate with at times heavy rains are meanwhile expected over eastern Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Metro Manila, CALABARZON, Bicol Region, Mindanao, and the rest of Central Luzon, MIMAROPA, and Visayas.

Gale warning

A gale warning is in effect over the western seaboards of Palawan (Kalayaan Islands), Occidental Mindoro, Batangas, and Pangasinan, and the seaboard of Zambales due to rough to very rough seas (2.5 to 4.5 m), the state weather bureau said. Sea travel is risky over these areas.

Moderate to rough seas (1.2 to 3.1 m) will prevail over the seaboards of the rest of the country.

Those with small seacrafts are thus advised to take precaution when venturing out to sea.

PAGASA warned that flooding and rain-induced landslides may occur during heavy or prolonged rainfall, especially in areas that are highly or very highly susceptible to the hazards.

Leon will continue tracking west-northwestward, as it is forecasted to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Thursday morning. 

Based on PAGASA's forecast track, Leon will turn more westward Thursday afternoon or evening and will make landfall over northern or central Vietnam on Friday afternoon or evening.

Leon is forecast to reach severe tropical storm category within 24 hours and peak intensity on Friday.

At 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, the center of Tropical Storm Leon was estimated based on all available data at 330 km west-northwest of Coron, Palawan (13.1 °N, 117.4 °E).

It is moving west-northwestward at 15 kph, with maximum sustained winds of 65 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 80 kph. —Jamil Santos/KG, GMA News