Ofel continues to affect parts of northern Luzon, Signal No. 4 in 2 areas

Even as it has weakened, Typhoon Ofel "continues to threaten" parts of northern Luzon and will continue to bring rains and severe winds, PAGASA said.

In its 5 p.m. weather bulletin, the state weather bureau said Signal No. 4 remains hoisted over the following areas:

• Babuyan Islands
• the northern and eastern portions of mainland Cagayan (Santa Teresita, Ballesteros, Aparri, Camalaniugan, Buguey, Lal-Lo, Allacapan, Gattaran, Baggao, Peñablanca, Gonzaga, Santa Ana, Abulug, Pamplona, Sanchez-Mira)

Signal No. 3 is up over the following areas:

• Batanes
• the rest of Cagayan
• the northern portion of Isabela (San Pablo, Tumauini, Cabagan, Santa Maria, Santo Tomas, Maconacon, Delfin Albano)
• the northern portion of Apayao (Flora, Santa Marcela, Luna, Pudtol, Calanasan, Kabugao)
• the northern portion of Ilocos Norte (Pagudpud, Adams, Dumalneg)

Signal No. 2 is up over the following areas:

• the western and eastern portions of Isabela (Quezon, Quirino, Mallig, San Manuel, Aurora, Cabatuan, City of Cauayan, Benito Soliven, Naguilian, Gamu, Burgos, Reina Mercedes, Luna, Roxas, San Mariano, Palanan, Ilagan City, Divilacan, Dinapigue)
• the rest of Apayao, Kalinga
• the northeastern portion of Abra (Tineg, Lacub, Malibcong, Lagayan, San Juan, Lagangilang, Licuan-Baay, Daguioman)
• the eastern portion of Mountain Province (Paracelis)
• the rest of Ilocos Norte
•  

Signal No. 1 is up over the following areas:

• the rest of Isabela
• Quirino
• the northern portion of Nueva Vizcaya (Kasibu, Ambaguio, Solano, Bayombong, Quezon, Bagabag, Diadi, Villaverde, Dupax del Norte, Bambang)
• the rest of Mountain Province
• the rest of Ifugao
• the rest of Abra
• the northern portion of Benguet (Mankayan, Kabayan, Kibungan, Bakun, Buguias)'
• Ilocos Sur
• the northern portion of La Union (Luna, Sudipen, Bangar, Santol, Balaoan)
• the northern portion of Aurora (Casiguran, Dinalungan, Dilasag, Dipaculao)

The center of Ofel was estimated in the vicinity of Gonzaga, Cagayan or in Isca, Cagayan.

It is moving west northwestward at 20 kilometers per hour and has a maximum sustained winds of 165 km/h near the center and gustiness of up to 275 km/h.

After crossing the northeastern portion of mainland Luzon Thursday afternoon, Ofel will continue moving northwestward and pass close or make landfall in the vicinity of Babuyan Islands in the evening before turning northward on Friday over the sea west of Batanes.

It will then move northeastward over the sea east of Taiwan during the weekend. 

"Ofel has started to weaken due to increasing interaction with the landmass of Luzon. It will continue to weaken throughout the forecast period due to frictional effects of land, as well as the increasingly unfavorable environment over the Luzon Strait and the sea east of Taiwan," PAGASA said. —LDF, GMA Integrated News