Odette expected to exit PAR by Saturday, Dec. 18
(Eagle News) — Northern Palawan bore the brunt of Supertyphoon Odette (international name Rai) on Friday, December 17, as the howler made its ninth landfall in the town of Roxas that afternoon.
With maximum sustained winds of 150 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 205 km/h, Odette made landfall over Roxas, Palawan at 3:10 p.m. on Friday, according to PAGASA.
Even before it made landfall, Odette had already slightly weakened, PAGASA said. Before this, Odette was packing winds of up to 215 km/hr. It was even stronger with gusts of up to 240 km/hr when it made its first landfall in Siargao, Surigao del Norte the day before, on Thursday, Dec. 16.
PAGASA said heavy to torrential rains would be felt over Palawan including Calamian, Cuyo, and Cagayancillo Islands starting Friday.
According to PAGASA’s 5 p.m. advisory, the eye of Typhoon “ODETTE” was located based on all available data over the coastal waters of San Vicente, Palawan(10.5°N, 119.2°E) as of 4 p.m., Friday, Dec. 17.
“ODETTE” is forecast to pass in the vicinity of Kalayaan Islands tomorrow, Saturday, Dec. 18, PAGASA said.
The typhoon is also expected to exit the country by Saturday afternoon at the latest, according to PAGASA’s 5 p.m. bulletin.
“While over the West Philippine sea, the typhoon is forecast to move west northwestward and may exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility tomorrow (Saturday) morning or early afternoon,” PAGASA said.
But forecasters said that Odette would likely re-intensify once it emerges over the West Philippine Sea. Then it would gradually weaken on Sunday, Dec. 19.
In the video above, Odette’s fury is evident as it battered Taytay, Palawan around 3 p.m., Friday, Dec. 17.
Northern Palawan was placed under signal no. 3 early Friday by PAGASA. As of PAGASA’s 2 p.m. weather bulletin, signal no. 3 was hoisted over the northern portion of Palawan (El Nido, Taytay, Araceli, Dumaran, Roxas, San Vicente, Puerto Princesa City) including Cagayancillo and Cuyo Islands.)
In its 5 p.m. update, only these areas in northern Palawan are under signal no. 3: El Nido, Taytay, Araceli, Dumaran, Roxas, San Vicente, Puerto Princesa City
Odette is firecast to weaken beginning Sunday, Dec. 19 as the typhoon “becomes exposed to increasing vertical wind shear and the surge of the Northeast Monsoon.”
-More landfalls than supertyphoon Yolanda-
Odette has made more landfalls than supertyphoon Yolanda (Haiyan). It is also comparable to Yolanda in strength with gusts of up to 240 kilometers per hour when it first made landfall in Siargao, Surigao del Norte at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 16.
On Thursday alone, Odette had made a total of seven landfalls. Its eighth landfall occured at 12 a.m. Friday, Dec. 17, in Negros Oriental. The ninth landfall occured in Palawan at 3:10 p.m. on Friday.
(Eagle News Service)