More areas are now under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 2 as Typhoon Ofel, international name Usagi, surges toward Northern Luzon, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration announced in a bulletin issued at 8 PM on Wednesday.

Near the center, the typhoon produces maximum sustained winds at 130 kilometers per hour (kph), with a gustiness peaking at 160 kph. The eye was estimated to be 425 kilometers east of Baler, Aurora.

Areas under TCWS No. 2 will experience gale-force winds:

• Cagayan including Babuyan Islands
• The northern and eastern portions of Isabela (Maconacon, Divilacan, Palanan, San Pablo,
• Cabagan, Santa Maria, Santo Tomas, Tumauini, Ilagan City)
• Apayao
• Northern Ilocos Norte (Carasi, Vintar, Burgos, Adams, Pagudpud, Bangui, Dumalneg)

Under TCWS No. 1 are the following:

• Batanes
• The rest of Isabela
• Quirino
• Northern Nueva Vizcaya (Kasibu, Ambaguio, Solano, Bayombong, Quezon, Bagabag, Diadi, Villaverde)
• Kalinga
• Abra
• Mountain Province
• Ifugao
• The rest of Ilocos Norte
• Northern Aurora (Dilasag, Casiguran, Dinalungan, Dipaculao)

Ofel is expected to make landfall over the eastern portion of Cagayan or Isabela on Thursday, when it will have reached its peak intensity, said PAGASA.