Signal 5 raised as ‘Lawin’ intensifies into supertyphoon
Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal Number 5 was raised over Cagayan and Isabela as Lawin intensified into a supertyphoon on Wednesday afternoon.
Weather bureau PAGASA said in its 2 p.m. bulletin that Lawin was packing maximum sustained winds of 225 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 315 kph.
The center of the supertyphoon was located 300 kilometers east of Casiguran, Aurora as of 1 p.m.
PAGASA introduced in May 2015 a revised public storm warning system due to the increasing number of damaging tropical cyclones.
Signal Number 5 means “very heavy to widespread damage” is expected from the impact of a tropical cyclone’s wind.
Signal Number 4 was raised over:
- Apayao
- Kalinga
- Ilocos Norte
- Abra
- Ilocos Sur
- Mountain Province
- Ifugao
- Calayan Group of Islands
Areas under Signal Number 3 were:
- La Union
- Benguet
- Nueva Vizcaya
- Quirino
- northern Aurora
Signal Number 2 over:
- Batanes Group of Islands
- Pangasinan
- rest of of Aurora
- Tarlac
- Nueva Ecija
- northern Zambales
- northern Quezon including Polillo Islands
Signal Number 1 is hoisted over:
- rest of Zambales
- Bulacan
- Bataan
- Pampanga
- Rizal
- rest of Quezon
- Cavite
- Laguna
- Batangas
- Camarines Norte
- Camarines Sur
- Catanduanes
- Albay
- Metro Manila
—Rie Takumi/ALG, GMA News
