The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) warned mariners of dangerous seas on Oct. 21 as Super Typhoon Rosal moved toward the northern Philippines with sustained winds of 205 kilometers per hour.
In bulletin No. 6, issued at 5 a.m. ET (09:00 UTC; 5 p.m. Philippine time) Wednesday, PAGASA placed Rosal 725 kilometers east of Aparri, Cagayan. The storm was moving west northwest at 25 kilometers per hour, and the agency said it had weakened slightly.
PAGASA forecast waves of up to 10 meters off Batanes' northern and eastern coasts, 8 meters off the northern seaboard of the Babuyan Islands and northeastern mainland Cagayan, and 4.5 meters off the northern seaboard of Northern Samar. The agency said sea travel in those waters was risky for vessels of any size, advising vessels to stay docked and crews already underway to head for safe harbor.
Wind Signal No. 2 was in effect over Batanes, while Signal No. 1 covered parts of northern Luzon. PAGASA forecast strong to gale-force gusts across much of Luzon and the Visayas on Oct. 22.
Rosal was forecast to pass closest to extreme northern Luzon from the afternoon of Oct. 22 through the morning of Oct. 23, then leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility late Oct. 23 or early Oct. 24. PAGASA expects the storm to weaken to a typhoon by Oct. 23. Its next bulletin was scheduled for 11 a.m. ET (15:00 UTC) Wednesday.
