Typhoon ‘Falcon’ leaves PH

TYPHOON “Falcon” has left the country but will continue enhancing the southwest monsoon or “habagat” which will continue to dump rain, especially over the western section of Luzon and Visayas, the state-run weather agency said on Tuesday.

In a 5 p.m. advisory, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said the typhoon, estimated some 835 kilometers northeast of extreme Northern Luzon, exited the country past 3 p.m.

Moving west-northwestward at 15 kilometers per hour (kph), Falcon has maximum sustained winds of 175kph near the center and gustiness of up to 215kph.

It begins decelerating as it approaches the waters southeast of Okinawa Islands, the latest advisory said.

“A period of weakening may begin late Wednesday or on early Thursday as it enters the cooler waters of the East China Sea,” the state weather bureau said.

It said that habagat enhanced by Falcon will bring occasional monsoon rains, particularly over the western portion of Luzon in the next three days.

Also, the southwest monsoon will bring gusty conditions in areas, especially in coastal and upland/mountainous areas exposed to winds, Pagasa said.

It added that a gale warning is in effect over several coastal waters along the northern seaboard of Northern Luzon also due to the weather system.