Tropical Depression Luis kept its intensity on Monday morning, August 3, as it traversed the waters east of Aurora, keeping Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 active across 10 areas in Northern Luzon.
In its 5:00 AM bulletin, state weather bureau PAGASA pinpointed the center of TD Luis at 130 kilometers east-southeast of Casiguran, Aurora. The cyclone retains maximum sustained winds of 55 km/h near the center, with gusts reaching up to 70 km/h.
Moving northwestward, the tropical depression is projected to make landfall or pass near Northern Luzon between late Monday night and early Tuesday morning.
“May posibilidad na nga maglandfall ‘yan sa pagitan ng Isabela at Aurora area mamayang gabi o bukas ng madaling araw,” Charmagne Varilla, a PAGASA weather specialist said during an interview on DZRH’s Dos Por Dos.
Forecasters cautioned that torrential rains and severe gusts could still strike regions beyond the official track cone, pointing out that the system’s path remains unpredictable and subject to sudden shifts.
Forecast Track and Eventual Dissipation
After sweeping across or nearing Northern Luzon, Luis is expected to pivot sharply east-northeastward toward open sea.
PAGASA expects the cyclone to maintain its current force before deteriorating into a remnant low by Wednesday, August 5. The system is then anticipated to be fully absorbed by the broader circulation of Tropical Cyclone Dolphin.
Habagat Wind Warning and Signal No. 1 Areas
The southwest monsoon (habagat), amplified by the cyclone’s outer circulation, will bring strong to gale-force wind gusts through Tuesday to coastal and mountainous areas across most of Luzon, the Visayas, and parts of Mindanao (specifically Lanao del Norte, Misamis Occidental, Camiguin, Surigao del Norte, Dinagat Islands, Sarangani, Davao Occidental, and Davao Oriental).
Areas under Signal No. 1:
- Cagayan: Central and eastern portions (Enrile, Tuguegarao City, Peñablanca, Piat, Santo Niño, Camalaniugan, Tuao, Lal-Lo, Gonzaga, Alcala, Amulung, Santa Teresita, Baggao, Buguey, Solana, Rizal, Santa Ana, Gattaran, Iguig, Lasam, Aparri, Ballesteros, Abulug, Allacapan, Pamplona)
- Isabela (Entire province)
- Quirino (Entire province)
- Apayao: Eastern and southern portions (Flora, Santa Marcela, Conner, Pudtol, Luna)
- Kalinga: Eastern portion (City of Tabuk, Tanudan, Pinukpuk, Rizal)
- Mountain Province: Eastern portion (Paracelis, Natonin)
- Ifugao: Eastern portion (Aguinaldo, Alfonso Lista)
- Aurora: Northern portion (Dinalungan, Casiguran, Dilasag, Dipaculao, Baler)
- Polillo Islands
- Camarines Norte: Northern portion (Daet, Talisay, Paracale, Jose Panganiban, Capalonga, Vinzons)
PAGASA urges residents across affected regions to stay tuned to official bulletins and take safety precautions against sudden downpours, strong winds, and localized flooding.