RAMMB/Himawari-9 satellite imagery 

MANILA — State weather bureau PAGASA raised tropical cyclone wind signal no. 1 over Cagayan as severe tropical storm Ofel (international name: Usagi) moves closer to the Philippine landmass late Tuesday.

In its 11 p.m. weather bulletin, PAGASA said Ofel was last locate 630 kilometers east of Virac, Catanduanes, packing maximum sustained winds of 110 kilometers per hour near the center, with gusts of up to 135 kph.

The storm is moving in a west-northwestward direction at a pace of 25 kph.

Signal No. 1 was hoisted over Cagayan including Babuyan Islands, the northeastern portion of Isabela and the eastern portion of Apayao, where strong winds are expected within 36 hours.

PAGASA also warned of intense to torrential rains over Isabela and Cagayan from Wednesday to Thursday.

Heavy to intense rains may also persist over Apayao, Abra, Batanes, Kalinga, Mountain Province, and Ifugao, and moderate to heavy rains over Aurora, Ilocos Norte, Nueva Vizcaya, Benguet, Quirino, and Ilocos Sur from Wednesday.

Ofel is forecast to move west northwestward over the Philippine Sea before making landfall along the east coast of Cagayan or Isabela on Thursday afternoon or evening.

PAGASA, however, emphasized that regardless of the position of the landfall, hazards on land and coastal waters may still be experienced in areas outside the landfall point.

Ofel is also forecast to steadily intensify in the next three days and may reach typhoon category on Wednesday. It may also possibly make landfall at peak intensity.

Ofel comes on the heels of Nika, which left the Philippine area of responsibility Tuesday afternoon.

It prompted the evacuation of some 32,000 people in vulnerable areas.

While the government reported no casualties from Nika, it said around 15,000 people were still sheltering at mainly government-run evacuation centers.

Fifth cyclone in under a month bears down on Philippines

After Ofel, the weather service said Tropical Storm Man-yi, currently near the Northern Mariana Islands, could also threaten the Philippines.

About 20 big storms and typhoons hit the archipelago nation or its surrounding waters each year, killing scores of people and keeping millions in enduring poverty.

A recent study showed that storms in the Asia-Pacific region are increasingly forming closer to coastlines, intensifying more rapidly and lasting longer over land due to climate change.

Typhoons may continue until first quarter of 2025: PAGASA

— With a report from Agence France-Presse