MANILA, Philippines — Typhoon Odette (international name: Rai) intensified after exiting the Philippine Area of Responsibility early Saturday afternoon.
Odette, the strongest typhoon to batter the disaster-prone Philippines this year, was last seen at 4:00 p.m. over the coastal waters of Pag-asa Island, Kalayaan, Palawan (11.4°N, 114.2°E), state weather bureau PAGASA said. It exited the PAR at 12:40 p.m.
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The typhoon has further intensified with maximum sustained winds of 165 kilometers per hour near the center, gustiness of up to 205 kph, and a central pressure of 945 hectoPascals.
Odette is heading westward at 25 kph and is forecast to maintain its strength while moving over the West Philippine Sea.
The state weather bureau raised Tropical Cyclone Wind Signals over the following areas:
TCWS No. 3 (Destructive typhoon-force winds prevailing or expected within 18 hours)
- Kalayaan Islands
“Destructive typhoon-force winds will be experienced within any of the areas where TCWS No. 3 is in effect. This may bring moderate to heavy damage to structures and vegetation,” PAGASA said.
What to expect
Heavy to torrential rains
- Kalayaan Islands
Moderate to heavy rains
- northern and eastern portions of Cagayan, the eastern portion of Isabela, Apayao, Aurora, and the northern portion of Quezon including Polillo Islands
Light to moderate with at times heavy rains
- Bicol Region, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Nueva Ecija, Northern Samar, and the rest of Cagayan, Isabela, and Quezon
"[T]he eventual exposure of the typhoon to increasing vertical wind shear and the surge of the Northeast Monsoon will result in a weakening trend beginning tomorrow," PAGASA said.
The death toll from Odette has risen to 21 as of Saturday. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council warned of "severe damage" in the hardest-hit areas.
Track
- Sunday morning: 255 km west northwest of Pag-asa Island, Kalayaan, Palawan (outside the PAR)
- Sunday afternoon: 455 km northwest of Pag-asa Island, Kalayaan, Palawan (outside the PAR)
- Monday morning: 620 km northwest of Pag-asa Island, Kalayaan, Palawan or 1,005 km West of Central Luzon (outside the PAR)
- Monday afternoon: 985 km west of northern Luzon (outside the PAR)
— with a report from Agence France-Presse