Tropical Depression Obet maintained its strength and put three areas in Northern Luzon under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 1, PAGASA said.
In its 11 a.m. bulletin, PAGASA said Obet was moving westward over the Philippines Sea late Thursday morning.
Batanes, Babuyan Islands, and the northeastern portion of mainland Cagayan (Santa Ana, Gonzaga) are all under TCWS No. 1.
Obet was last seen 745 kilometers east of Basco, Batanes with maximum sustained winds of 45 km per hour and gustiness of up to 55 km/h while moving westward at 10 km/h.
The state weather bureau said Obet may become a tropical storm category by Friday evening or early Saturday morning.
“Further intensification is likely once OBET reaches the West Philippine Sea,” PAGASA said.
— Ronald Espartinez