2 hours ago
1
Upgrade to High-Speed Internet for only ₱1499/month!
Enjoy up to 100 Mbps fiber broadband, perfect for browsing, streaming, and gaming.
Visit Suniway.ph to learn
NANDO. Satellite image of Severe Tropical Storm Nando (Ragasa) as of September 19, 2025, 10:10 pm.
PAGASA
Severe Tropical Storm Nando (Ragasa) has maximum sustained winds of 95 km/h as of Friday evening, September 19
MANILA, Philippines – Nando (Ragasa) intensified from a tropical storm into a severe tropical storm at 8 pm on Friday, September 19, as it remained over the Philippine Sea.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in a bulletin issued at 11 pm on Friday that Nando now has maximum sustained winds of 95 kilometers per hour from the previous 85 km/h. Its gustiness is now up to 115 km/h from 105 km/h.
Nando is projected to strengthen further into a typhoon on Saturday, September 20, and into a super typhoon by Monday morning, September 22.
As of 10 pm on Friday, the severe tropical storm was located 840 kilometers east of Central Luzon, moving west at only 10 km/h.
PAGASA’s latest forecast shows that aside from Babuyan Islands, another possible landfall site for Nando is Batanes. Nando, likely a super typhoon by then, could pass close to or make landfall in Batanes or Babuyan Islands on Monday afternoon or evening.
Given its size, Nando will directly affect Northern Luzon and most of Central Luzon, even if its expected landfall is in extreme Northern Luzon.
It will also enhance the southwest monsoon or habagat, which would pose a threat to much of Southern Luzon, including Metro Manila, and portions of Central Luzon and the Visayas.
The weather bureau released a separate advisory at 11 pm on Friday, containing the initial heavy rainfall outlook for Nando.
From Sunday evening, September 21, to Monday evening, or a 24-hour period, heavy to intense rain (100-200 millimeters) is expected in Ilocos Norte, Apayao, Batanes, and Cagayan, while moderate to heavy rain (50-100 mm) may hit Ilocos Sur, La Union, Abra, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Benguet, and Isabela. Floods and landslides are likely.
PAGASA Weather Specialist Benison Estareja had said on Friday afternoon that Nando’s outer cloud bands were already reaching the southern part of Bicol and Samar Island, leading to a higher chance of rain in these areas overnight.
Meanwhile, the weather bureau still expects to raise Signal No. 1 in Northern Luzon on Saturday morning, which would give affected areas 36 hours to prepare for strong winds. The highest possible tropical cyclone wind signal due to Nando is Signal No. 5.
The southwest monsoon and the trough or extension of the tropical cyclone will bring strong to gale-force gusts to these areas, too:
Saturday, September 20
- Bicol, Eastern Visayas, Caraga
Sunday, September 21
- Zambales, Bataan, Calabarzon, Bicol, Mimaropa, Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Caraga
Monday, September 22
- Zambales, Bataan, Calabarzon, Bicol, Mimaropa, Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Caraga, Davao Occidental
Also on Saturday, storm surge warnings may be issued for Northern Luzon.
And even as Nando remains far from land, it may already trigger moderate seas in the next 24 hours in the eastern seaboards of Batanes, Cagayan including Babuyan Islands, Isabela, and Catanduanes.
PAGASA advised small vessels to take precautionary measures or avoid sailing, if possible, as waves can be up to 2.5 meters high.
ALSO ON RAPPLER
- Speaker Bojie Dy orders Zaldy Co to come home, revokes travel clearance
- Who is ‘Boss Henry,’ DPWH official tagged in flood control corruption?
- Ayala Group to stop selling Volkswagen cars in Philippines
- EJ Obiena excited to give Filipino fans world-class pole vault experience
For now, Catanduanes, Albay, Sorsogon, Masbate, Northern Samar, and Eastern Samar may have scattered rain and thunderstorms due to the southwest monsoon in the coming hours.
The rest of Bicol, Metro Manila, the Ilocos Region, the Cordillera Administrative Region, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Zambales, Bataan, and the rest of the Visayas might see isolated rain showers or thunderstorms, also because of the southwest monsoon.
Flash floods and landslides are possible during periods of moderate to heavy rain or severe thunderstorms.
Nando is the Philippines’ 14th tropical cyclone for 2025, and the fourth for September. It could leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility by Tuesday morning or afternoon, September 23. – Rappler.com
