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Weather bureau PAGASA has downgraded "Betty" (International name Mawar) to a typhoon as the tropical cyclone continues to move westward over the Philippine Sea on Saturday evening.
According to PAGASA, Betty was sighted at 895 kilometers east of Central Luzon or 935 kms east of Northern Luzon at 10 p.m. with maximum sustained winds of 175 km/hour near the center and gusts of up to 215 km/h.
It continues to move westward at 25 km/h.
Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal no. 1 was hoisted over a large portion of Northern Luzon including:
- Batanes
- Cagayan (including Babuyan Islands)
- Isabela
- Apayao
- Ilocos Norte
- The northern and central portions of Abra (Tineg, Lacub, Lagayan, San Juan, Lagangilang, Licuan-Baay, Malibcong, Danglas, La Paz, Dolores, Tayum, Bucay, Sallapadan, Daguioman, Bucloc, Boliney)
- Kalinga
- The eastern and central portions of Mountain Province (Sadanga, Barlig, Natonin, Paracelis, Bontoc)
- The eastern and central portions of Ifugao (Mayoyao, Aguinaldo, Alfonso Lista, Banaue, Hingyon, Lagawe, Lamut, Kiangan, Asipulo)
- The northern and central portions of Aurora (Dilasag, Casiguran, Dinalungan, Dipaculao)
- Quirino
- The northeastern portion of Nueva Vizcaya (Kasibu, Quezon, Solano, Bagabag, Diadi, Villaverde, Bayombong, Ambaguio)
Typhoon Betty is expected to enhance the southwest monsoon, bringing monsoon rains over MIMAROPA and Western Visayas on Monday.
It is forecast move west northwestward or northwestward in the 72 hours while gradually decelerating.
PAGASA said the typhoon will likely become slow-moving to almost stationary by Tuesday while over the waters east of Batanes. Then it will resume moving toward the north or north northeast by mid Wednesday.