Manila: Severe Tropical Storm Uwan, internationally known as Fung-wong, has maintained its strength as it continues to progress slowly in a north-northeast direction over the waters south of Taiwan, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) on Wednesday. The center of Uwan was pinpointed at 280 kilometers west of Itbayat, Batanes, outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).

According to Philippines News Agency, Uwan has maximum sustained winds of 95 kilometers per hour near its center and gustiness reaching up to 115 kilometers per hour. The storm is advancing north-northeast at a speed of 10 kilometers per hour, with strong to storm-force winds extending up to 350 kilometers from its center.

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 remains active over Batanes, the Babuyan Islands, and parts of Ilocos Norte, with areas possibly experiencing winds ranging from 39 to 61 kilometers per hour within 36 hours, causing minimal to minor impacts. Outsid
e these designated areas, occasional gusty conditions may affect various regions including the Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, and Cagayan, including the Babuyan Islands.

A gale warning has been issued over the northern and western seaboards of Northern Luzon due to very rough seas, with wave heights possibly reaching up to 5 meters along Batanes’ coasts and up to 4.5 meters along the western seaboards of the Babuyan Islands and Ilocos Norte. The western seaboards of Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Zambales, and Occidental Mindoro, along with parts of Palawan, Cagayan, and Isabela, are expected to experience rough to moderate seas.

PAGASA forecasts that Uwan may re-enter PAR on Wednesday morning or afternoon before making landfall over Taiwan’s southwestern coast later in the day. The storm is anticipated to weaken into a tropical storm before landfall due to interaction with Taiwan’s terrain and unfavorable atmospheric conditions, eventually dissipating into a remnant low by Friday.