'Super typhoon Odette' may make landfall in Batanes

MANILA, Philippines - Typhoon "Odette" may make landfall over the Batanes Group of Islands while it continues to maintain its strength and threaten extreme Northern Luzon, the state weather bureau said Friday.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in its 5 p.m. bulletin that the center of Typhoon Odette was estimated at 220 kilometers east of Basco, Batanes.

Odette was packing maximum sustained winds of 205 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 240 kph.

The typhoon is forecast to move west northwest at 19 kilometers per hour.

"Typhoon Odette has maintained its strength and continues to threaten extreme northern Luzon," PAGASA said in its bulletin.

The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) of the US Department of Defense has already classified Odette as a super typhoon.

Read: US Defense agency: 'Odette' now a super typhoon

But in a televised press briefing on Friday afternoon, PAGASA forecaster Alvin Pura said the agency is not using the super typhoon category.

Pura said Odette is expected to make landfall or pass very close to the Batanes Group of Islands tomorrow early morning.

Odette is also expected to be at 180 km northwest of Basco, Batanes by tomorrow afternoon and outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility by Sunday early morning, according to PAGASA's latest bulletin.

At least 17 areas are sitll under storm signals, the weather bureau said.

Signal no. 4
Batanes Group of Islands

Signal no. 3
Calayan Group of Islands
Babuyan Group of Islands

Signal no. 2
Cagayan
Apayao
Ilocos Norte

Signal no. 1
Abra
Kalinga
Isabela
Northern Aurora
Quirino
Nueva
Vizcaya
Benguet
La Union
Ilocos Sur
Mt. Province
Ifugao

PAGASA said heavy to intense rainfall is expected within the 900-kilometer diameter of the typhoon.

Residents in low-lying and mountainous areas under the storm signals are alerted against possible flashfloods, landslides and storm surges.

Odette will continue to enhance the southwest monsoon, which will bring moderate to occasionally heavy rains and thunderstorms over Metro Manila, the rest of Luzon, and Western Visayas, according to PAGASA.

"Residents in these areas are advised to be alert against flashfloods and landslides," the agency said.

Sea travel is also risky over the western seaboard of Southern Luzon and over the eastern seaboard of Central and Southern Luzon and of Visayas.