Typhoon Falcon continues to maintain strength while it is heading west-northwestward toward the southeast of Okinawa Island in Japan, the state weather bureau said in its latest bulletin issued on Tuesday, August 1.
According to PAGASA, Falcon will leave the country's area of responsibility in the afternoon or evening.
"Afterward, the typhoon will pass south of Okinawa Islands between tonight and tomorrow morning. A period of slow movement may occur by Thursday over the East China Sea," it noted.
The center of the eye of Falcon was last spotted 875 kilometers east northeast of Extreme Northern Luzon and is moving in the direction of west-northwest at 20 km per hour (kph).
It is packed with maximum sustained winds of 175 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 215 kph.
PAGASA noted that Typhoon Falcon may be raised into a super typhoon category.
In the next three days, it said the western portion of Luzon will still experience occasional monsoon rains due to Southwest Monsoon enhanced by Falcon.
The enhanced habagat will also bring gusty conditions over Batanes, Babuyan Islands, Abra, Benguet, Zambales, Bataan, the central and southern portions of Aurora, Pampanga, Bulacan, Metro Manila, and most of Ilocos Region, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, Bicol Region, and Western Visayas.
The state weather bureau said it is not ruling out the possibility of hoisting Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 1 over Batanes "due to the very expansive wind field of the typhoon".
The enhanced habagat will also bring moderate to rough seas over the coastal waters along the northern, western, and southern seaboards of Luzon.
