MANILA, Philippines – Super Typhoon Rosal (Champi) started to weaken on Wednesday afternoon, October 21, with its maximum sustained winds slightly easing to 205 kilometers per hour from a peak of 215 km/h.
The super typhoon’s gustiness also eased from 265 km/h to 250 km/h, said the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) in its 5 pm bulletin on Wednesday.
PAGASA expects Rosal to be downgraded to a typhoon by Friday, October 23. Under the weather bureau’s classification, a typhoon has maximum sustained winds of 118 to 184 km/h.
Rosal was last spotted 725 kilometers east of Aparri, Cagayan, at 4 pm on Wednesday. It is still moving west northwest at 25 km/h and will continue to stay offshore.
However, Rosal will be closest to extreme Northern Luzon between Thursday afternoon, October 22, and Friday morning. Although landfall is not expected, it is still affecting portions of the country.
The following provinces face significant rainfall due to Rosal in the next 48 hours:
Wednesday afternoon, October 21, to Thursday afternoon, October 22
- Moderate to heavy rain (50-100 millimeters): Batanes, Cagayan, Apayao
Thursday afternoon, October 22, to Friday afternoon, October 23
- Heavy to intense rain (100-200 mm): Batanes
- Moderate to heavy rain (50-100 mm): Cagayan
Aside from the provinces mentioned above, Ilocos Norte, Isabela, and Catanduanes are also likely to have rain with gusty winds from Rosal on Wednesday evening.
The rest of Cagayan Valley, the rest of the Cordillera Administrative Region, the rest of Bicol, Aurora, Northern Samar, and Eastern Samar may have scattered rain and thunderstorms as well, still due to the super typhoon.
PAGASA added that Rosal’s trough or extension might cause scattered rain and thunderstorms in the Negros Island Region, Antique, Iloilo, Guimaras, and Palawan.
Meanwhile, the same areas remain under tropical cyclone wind signals as of 5 pm on Wednesday:
Signal No. 2
Gale-force winds (62 to 88 km/h), minor to moderate threat to life and property
- Batanes
Signal No. 1
Strong winds (39 to 61 km/h), minimal to minor threat to life and property
- Cagayan including Babuyan Islands
- eastern part of Isabela (Maconacon, Divilacan, Palanan, Santa Maria, Cabagan, Delfin Albano, Santo Tomas, Tumauini, San Pablo, Ilagan City, San Mariano, Dinapigue)
- Ilocos Norte
- Apayao
- northeastern part of Catanduanes (Pandan, Bagamanoc, Panganiban, Viga, Gigmoto)
There is a possibility of Signal No. 3 being raised, depending on Rosal’s track.
The northeasterly windflow and the periphery or outer bands of the super typhoon will also bring strong to gale-force gusts to the following areas:
Wednesday, October 21
- Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, Cagayan Valley, Bicol, Romblon, Aurora, Quezon, Eastern Visayas, Siquijor, Bohol, Northern Mindanao, Caraga, Davao Region, Sarangani
Thursday, October 22
- most of Luzon and Visayas, Zamboanga del Norte, Northern Mindanao, Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Norte, Dinagat Islands, Sarangani, Davao Occidental, Davao Oriental
Friday, October 23
- most of Luzon and Visayas, Zamboanga del Norte, Davao Occidental, Davao Oriental
Conditions in many seaboards across the country remain dangerous, especially in Batanes, where waves can now go as high as 10 meters or nearly 33 feet.
Up to very rough seas (travel is risky for all vessels)
- Northern and eastern seaboards of Batanes – waves up to 10 meters high
- Remaining seaboard of Batanes; eastern seaboard of Babuyan Islands – waves up to 9 meters high
- Northern seaboard of Babuyan Islands; northeastern seaboard of mainland Cagayan – waves up to 8 meters high
- Remaining seaboard of mainland Cagayan; remaining seaboard of Babuyan Islands; northeastern seaboard of Isabela – waves up to 7 meters high
- Northern seaboard of Ilocos Norte; remaining seaboard of Isabela – waves up to 6 meters high
- Northern and eastern seaboards of Catanduanes; northern seaboard of Ilocos Norte; northern seaboard of northern Aurora – waves up to 5 meters high
- Northern and eastern seaboards of Polillo Islands; northern seaboards of Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur; remaining seaboard of Aurora; northern seaboard of Northern Samar; eastern seaboards of Albay and Sorsogon – waves up to 4.5 meters high
Up to rough seas (small vessels should not venture out to sea)
- Eastern seaboards of northern Quezon and Eastern Samar; remaining seaboards of Northern Samar and Ilocos Norte – waves up to 4 meters high
- Remaining seaboard of Eastern Samar; northern seaboard of Ilocos Sur – waves up to 3.5 meters high
- Seaboard of La Union; eastern seaboards of Dinagat Islands and Siargao-Bucas Grande Island Group; remaining seaboards of Catanduanes and Ilocos Sur; northern and eastern seaboards of Davao Oriental; northwestern seaboard of Pangasinan – 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 Surigao del Sur and Surigao del Norte; southern seaboard of Davao Oriental; remaining eastern seaboard of Quezon; remaining seaboards of Ilocos Sur, Dinagat Islands, and Siargao-Bucas Grande Island Group; remaining seaboard of Pangasinan; northwestern seaboard of Zambales – waves up to 2.5 meters high
- Eastern seaboard of Davao Occidental; remaining seaboard of Zambales; western seaboards of Bataan, Batangas, and Cavite; northwestern seaboard of Occidental Mindoro including Lubang Islands – waves up to 2 meters high
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Rosal could leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility by Friday evening or early Saturday morning, October 24. It entered PAR on Tuesday, October 20.
Rosal is the Philippines’ 18th tropical cyclone for 2026, and the first for October. PAGASA earlier estimated the country may have one or two tropical cyclones during the month.
The Philippines is currently in a transition period to the northeast monsoon or amihan, following the end of the southwest monsoon or habagat, which was announced last October 5.
The northeast monsoon typically brings surges of cold temperatures, but the upcoming amihan period could be warmer as the existing strong El Niño in the tropical Pacific Ocean is predicted to become very strong in the fourth quarter of 2026. – Rappler.com