Kiyapo rapidly intensifies into typhoon, leaves PAR

MANILA, Philippines – Kiyapo (Noul) rapidly intensified from a severe tropical storm into a typhoon and left the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) at 2 am on Saturday, July 25. However, due to its intensity, it is still affecting Northern Luzon.

As of 4 am, Kiyapo was already 320 kilometers west of Basco, Batanes, moving west northwest toward China at 25 kilometers per hour (km/h).

Its maximum sustained winds are now at 120 km/h, with gustiness of up to 150 km/h.

In a bulletin released at 5 am on Saturday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Kiyapo is likely to strengthen further in the next 12 hours, ahead of its expected landfall in China. But it may weaken quickly once it moves further inland there.

In the Philippines, Kiyapo made landfall as a tropical storm in Camiguin Island, Calayan, Cagayan, at 2:10 pm on Friday, July 24.

While Kiyapo is now outside PAR, it can still trigger moderate to heavy rain (50-100 millimeters) in Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Apayao, and Abra on Saturday. The rest of the Ilocos Region, the rest of the Cordillera Administrative Region, and Cagayan Valley may also have scattered rain and thunderstorms due to the trough or extension of the typhoon.

The southwest monsoon or habagat also continues to affect Central Luzon, Southern Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao, causing scattered rain and thunderstorms in many areas. But fewer provinces are seen to have significant rainfall during the weekend, based on PAGASA’s separate 5 am advisory on Saturday.

Saturday, July 25

• Moderate to heavy rain (50-100 mm): Zambales, Bataan, Occidental Mindoro

Sunday, July 26

• Moderate to heavy rain (50-100 mm): Pangasinan, Zambales

PAGASA advised areas affected by Kiyapo and the southwest monsoon to remain on alert for floods and landslides.

Also as of 5 am on Saturday, strong winds from Kiyapo are still reaching some Northern Luzon provinces, so Signal No. 1 remains raised for them:

• Batanes
• western part of Babuyan Islands (Calayan Island, Dalupiri Island, Fuga Island)
• northwestern part of mainland Cagayan (Pamplona, Sanchez-Mira, Claveria, Santa Praxedes)
• northern part of Apayao (Luna, Calanasan)
• Ilocos Norte

The highest tropical cyclone wind signal raised due to Kiyapo was Signal No. 3.

The southwest monsoon and the typhoon’s periphery or outer bands are also bringing strong to gale-force gusts to these areas:

Saturday, July 25

• most of Luzon, Western Visayas, Negros Island Region, Northern Samar, Zamboanga del Norte, Davao Oriental

Sunday, July 26

• Batanes, Cagayan, Ilocos Region, Zambales, Bataan, Quezon, Mimaropa

Monday, July 27

• La Union, Pangasinan, Zambales, Lubang Islands, Kalayaan Islands

Moderate to very rough sea conditions persist on Saturday, too.

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

• Seaboards of Batanes and Babuyan Islands; northern seaboard of Ilocos Norte – waves up to 4.5 meters high

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

• Northeastern seaboard of Cagayan – waves up to 3.5 meters high
• Remaining seaboards of Ilocos Norte and Cagayan – waves up to 3 meters high

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

• Seaboards of Isabela and Ilocos Sur; northern seaboards of La Union and Pangasinan – waves up to 2.5 meters high
• Northern seaboard of Aurora; western seaboards of Pangasinan, Lubang Islands, Calamian Islands, and mainland Palawan; seaboards of Zambales and Bataan; eastern seaboards of Catanduanes, Siargao-Bucas Grande Islands, Surigao del Sur, and Davao Oriental – waves up to 2 meters high

Kiyapo was the Philippines’ 11th tropical cyclone for 2026, and the fourth for July alone. – Rappler.com