Tropical Storm Leon enters PAR, may intensify to typhoon category

Tropical Storm Leon, the 12th tropical cyclone in the Philippines this year, entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Saturday evening.

As of 11 a.m. on Sunday, October 27, Leon maintained maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 80 km/h, and was last spotted 1,075 kilometers east of Central Luzon.

The storm is now moving westward at 30 km/h, an increase in speed from earlier reports.

Leon is projected to gradually intensify, potentially reaching severe tropical storm category by Monday and typhoon category by Tuesday.

While it is expected to remain far from the Philippine landmass, its outer rainbands may still affect Extreme Northern Luzon and enhance southwesterly winds over western parts of Southern Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

Signal No. 1 may be hoisted over Cagayan Valley and the northeastern portion of the Bicol Region, with the possibility of Wind Signal No. 2 being raised.