Typhoon Nika slightly weakens due to Luzon terrain but still bringing rain, winds

After making landfall in Aurora then crossing Isabela and Ifugao, Typhoon Nika (Toraji) moves over Mountain Province late Monday afternoon, November 11

MANILA, Philippines – Typhoon Nika (Toraji) slightly weakened as it continued to move over the Cordillera Administrative Region late Monday afternoon, November 11, but it is still a powerful tropical cyclone bringing significant rain and winds.

Nika’s maximum sustained winds eased from 130 kilometers per hour to 120 km/h, said the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) in a briefing past 5 pm on Monday. Its gustiness is now up to 200 km/h from 215 km/h.

Nika could be downgraded to a severe tropical storm in the coming hours.

The typhoon was last spotted in the vicinity of Besao, Mountain Province, as of 4 pm on Monday. It made landfall in Dilasag, Aurora, at 8:10 am, then crossed Isabela and Ifugao before Mountain Province.

Nika is still moving west northwest at 25 km/h, heading for Ilocos Sur. It will emerge over the sea west of Ilocos Sur on Monday evening, then move over the West Philippine Sea and leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) by Tuesday morning, November 12.

Rainfall from Nika may gradually start easing on Tuesday, but for now, PAGASA said the typhoon is still bringing rain to these provinces:

• Intense to torrential rain (more than 200 millimeters): Aurora, Cagayan, Abra, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, Benguet, Ifugao, Mountain Province, Kalinga, Apayao
• Heavy to intense rain (100-200 mm): Isabela, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union
• Moderate to heavy rain (50-100 mm): Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Pangasinan

Meanwhile, portions of Aurora and Isabela are no longer under Signal No. 4 as of 5 pm on Monday, and have been downgraded to lower tropical cyclone wind signals. Signal No. 1 has also been lifted for portions of Metro Manila and Rizal. Below is the full list of areas where wind signals are still in effect.

Signal No. 4

Typhoon-force winds (118 to 184 km/h), significant to severe threat to life and property

• Kalinga
• Mountain Province
• northern part of Ifugao (Aguinaldo, Mayoyao, Alfonso Lista, Banaue, Hungduan, Hingyon, Lagawe)
• central and southern parts of Abra (Manabo, Pidigan, San Juan, Tayum, Langiden, Luba, Boliney, Sallapadan, Bucloc, Lagangilang, Tubo, Danglas, Villaviciosa, La Paz, Licuan-Baay, Pilar, Malibcong, Peñarrubia, San Isidro, Daguioman, San Quintin, Dolores, Lagayan, Bangued, Bucay, Lacub)
• northern and central parts of Ilocos Sur (Cabugao, Sinait, San Juan, San Emilio, Lidlidda, Banayoyo, Santiago, San Esteban, Burgos, Santa Maria, Magsingal, San Vicente, Santa Catalina, Nagbukel, San Ildefonso, Vigan City, Caoayan, Santa, Bantay, Santo Domingo, Narvacan, Quirino, Cervantes, Sigay, Salcedo, Santa Lucia, Candon City, Galimuyod, Gregorio del Pilar, Santa Cruz)

Signal No. 3

Storm-force winds (89 to 117 km/h), moderate to significant threat to life and property

• northern part of Quirino (Diffun, Cabarroguis, Aglipay, Saguday, Maddela)
• northeastern part of Nueva Vizcaya (Diadi, Bagabag, Quezon, Solano, Villaverde, Kasibu, Ambaguio, Bayombong)
• central part of Isabela (Santo Tomas, Santa Maria, San Mariano, Ilagan City, Benito Soliven, San Guillermo, Cauayan City, Gamu, Naguilian, Alicia, Angadanan, San Isidro, Santiago City, Echague, Jones, San Agustin, Delfin Albano, Quirino, Burgos, Reina Mercedes, Luna, Cabagan, Tumauini, San Pablo, Quezon, Mallig, Roxas, San Manuel, Aurora, Cabatuan, San Mateo, Ramon, Cordon)
• southwestern part of Cagayan (Enrile, Solana, Tuao, Tuguegarao City, Rizal, Piat)
• southern part of Apayao (Conner, Kabugao)
• rest of Abra
• rest of Ifugao
• northern part of Benguet (Buguias, Mankayan, Bakun)
• southern part of Ilocos Norte (Laoag City, Sarrat, San Nicolas, Piddig, Marcos, Nueva Era, Dingras, Bacarra, Solsona, Paoay, Currimao, Pinili, Badoc, Batac City, Banna)
• rest of Ilocos Sur

Signal No. 2

Gale-force winds (62 to 88 km/h), minor to moderate threat to life and property

• northwestern and eastern parts of Cagayan (Iguig, Peñablanca, Baggao, Alcala, Amulung, Santo Niño, Gattaran, Lasam, Santa Praxedes, Claveria, Sanchez-Mira, Pamplona, Abulug, Allacapan, Ballesteros, Lal-lo, Aparri, Camalaniugan, Buguey, Santa Teresita, Gonzaga)
• rest of Isabela
• rest of Nueva Vizcaya
• rest of Quirino
• rest of Apayao
• rest of Benguet
• rest of Ilocos Norte
• La Union
• northeastern part of Pangasinan (San Nicolas, Natividad, San Quintin, Sison, San Manuel, Umingan, Tayug)
• northern and central parts of Aurora (Dipaculao, Maria Aurora, Baler, Dilasag, Casiguran, Dinalungan)
• northern part of Nueva Ecija (Carranglan, Pantabangan, Lupao, San Jose City)

Signal No. 1

Strong winds (39 to 61 km/h), minimal to minor threat to life and property

• Babuyan Islands
• rest of mainland Cagayan
• rest of Pangasinan
• rest of Aurora
• rest of Nueva Ecija
• Bulacan
• Pampanga
• Tarlac
• northern and central parts of Zambales (Santa Cruz, Candelaria, Masinloc, Palauig, Iba, Botolan, Cabangan, San Marcelino, San Felipe, San Narciso)
• northeastern part of Quezon (General Nakar) including Polillo Islands

The northeasterly windflow is bringing strong to gale-force gusts to these areas, too:

Monday, November 11

• Batanes, Bataan, Cavite, Batangas, Lubang Island, Marinduque, Romblon, Masbate, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes

Tuesday, November 12

• Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Batanes, Cagayan including Babuyan Islands, Isabela

In addition, there is a moderate to high risk of storm surges in Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Cagayan including Babuyan Islands, Isabela, Zambales, and Aurora within 48 hours.

ALSO ON RAPPLER

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For sea conditions in the next 24 hours, PAGASA maintained the following outlook:

Up to very rough or high seas (travel is risky for all vessels)

• Eastern seaboard of mainland Cagayan; seaboards of Isabela and Ilocos Sur; western seaboard of Ilocos Norte – waves up to 5.5 meters high
• Remaining seaboard of mainland Cagayan and Ilocos Norte; seaboard of Babuyan Islands – waves up to 5 meters high
• Seaboards of Batanes and northern Aurora – waves up to 4.5 meters high

Up to rough seas (small vessels should not venture out to sea)

• Remaining seaboard of Ilocos Region. – waves up to 4 meters high
• Remaining seaboard of Aurora; northern and eastern seaboards of Polillo Islands; western seaboard of Zambales – waves up to 3 meters high

Up to moderate seas (small vessels should take precautionary measures or avoid sailing, if possible)

• Seaboards of northern mainland Quezon and Camarines Norte; northern seaboards of Camarines Sur and Catanduanes – waves up to 2.5 meters high
• Western seaboards of Bataan, Lubang Islands, Occidental Mindoro, and Calamian Islands; northern and eastern seaboards of Northern Samar; seaboard of Kalayaan Islands; eastern seaboards of Camarines Sur, Albay, Sorsogon, and Eastern Samar – waves up to 2 meters high

Nika is the Philippines’ 14th tropical cyclone for 2024, and the second for November, coming immediately after Typhoon Marce (Yinxing), which battered Northern Luzon. Marce has since weakened into a tropical storm outside PAR.

While Nika may exit PAR by Tuesday morning, a new tropical cyclone is expected to enter PAR at around the same time — the potential Ofel.

– Rappler.com