Uwan weakens further, now over La Union coastal waters

By Ma. Teresa Montemayor, Philippine News Agency

The center of the typhoon’s eye was located over the coastal waters of Bacnotan, La Union, according to PAGASA’s 5 am advisory (DOST-PAGASA/facebook)

MANILA – Typhoon Uwan (internarional name Fung-wong) weakened further as it moved over the coastal waters of Bacnotan, La Union, early Monday morning, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

The center of the typhoon’s eye was located over the coastal waters of Bacnotan, La Union, according to PAGASA’s 5 am advisory.

It now packs maximum sustained winds of 150 km/h near the center and gustiness of up to 230 km/h while moving west-northwestward at 25 km/h.

Strong to typhoon-force winds extend outward up to 780 kilometers from the center.

Signal No. 4 remains hoisted over parts of Nueva Vizcaya, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Abra, Ifugao, Benguet, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, and Zambales, where typhoon-force winds of 118 to 184 km/h are expected within 12 hours, posing significant to severe threats to life and property.

Signal No. 3 is raised over portions of Cagayan, Isabela, Apayao, Kalinga, Abra, Mountain Province, Quirino, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Nueva Vizcaya, Nueva Ecija, Aurora, Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, and Bataan, while Signal Nos. 2 and 1 remain up over other areas of Luzon and parts of the Visayas.

Heavy to intense rains across Northern and Central Luzon may trigger flooding and rain-induced landslides, especially in areas highly susceptible to these hazards.

Typhoon-force winds may cause severe damage to structures and power lines in areas under Signal No. 4, while storm-force and gale-force winds are expected to bring moderate to significant impacts in areas under lower warning levels.

A gale warning remains in effect over the seaboards of Luzon and the western seaboard of Western Visayas. Seas may reach heights of up to 12 meters along the coasts of La Union and northern Pangasinan, posing extreme risks to mariners.

PAGASA warned of life-threatening storm surges exceeding 3 meters along low-lying and exposed coastal communities in Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol Region, and parts of Western Visayas.

Uwan is expected to continue moving west-northwestward over the next 12 hours before turning northwest to north over the West Philippine Sea, where it may re-intensify by Tuesday and Wednesday.

By midweek, the typhoon is forecast to curve northeastward toward the Taiwan Strait, where it will likely weaken again before making landfall over western Taiwan on Thursday.