MANILA, Philippines — PAGASA, the Philippine weather bureau, announced on Wednesday that Super Typhoon Leon could bring Signal No. 5 over Batanes as it nears landfall. Currently, Signal No. 4 is active in Batanes, with Signal No. 3 for parts of Babuyan Islands and Cagayan’s northeast area.
Leon was last tracked 215 kilometers east-southeast of Basco, Batanes, moving northwest at 20 kph, packing maximum winds of 185 kph and gusts up to 230 kph. The closest approach to Batanes is expected from late Wednesday to Thursday morning, possibly at its strongest intensity.
After crossing Taiwan, Leon is forecast to move north over the Taiwan Strait and exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility by Thursday night or early Friday, PAGASA reports.
