Tropical Cyclone Koto, formerly known as Verbena, has officially intensified into a typhoon, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) reported Thursday.
Despite tracking outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), Koto continues to pose a significant weather threat, maintaining Signal No. 1 over the Kalayaan Islands.
In its 11 a.m. bulletin, the state weather bureau confirmed that Typhoon Koto now packs maximum sustained winds of 140 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center, with gustiness reaching up to 170 kph. It was last located 255 kilometers north of Pag-asa Island, Kalayaan, Palawan, moving west-northwest at 15 kph.
PAGASA warned that strong winds are currently affecting the Kalayaan Islands. Furthermore, the combined influence of Typhoon Koto and the prevailing northeast monsoon is expected to bring widespread gusty conditions, reaching strong to gale-force winds, across a large section of Luzon.
Areas affected by these gusty conditions include Batanes, Cagayan, Apayao, Abra, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Zambales, Bataan, Occidental Mindoro, and Palawan.
Mariners are strongly advised to exercise extreme caution, as a gale warning remains in effect for the seaboards of Northern Luzon and the western seaboard of Southern Luzon due to expected rough sea conditions.
Forecasters indicate that Koto’s strength is not expected to be sustained long-term, with the cyclone currently forecast to slightly weaken over the next 48 hours and potentially be downgraded into a severe tropical storm over the upcoming weekend.