Super Typhoon Francisco Strengthens East of Cagayan, Brings Rain to Northern Luzon

Super Typhoon Francisco strengthened from a typhoon into a super typhoon at 8 pm on Monday and maintained that intensity before dawn Tuesday while over the sea east of Northern Luzon. At 4 am Tuesday the storm was located 410 kilometers east of Aparri, Cagayan, moving west northwest at 10 km/h with maximum sustained winds of 185 km/h and gusts up to 230 km/h, according to Rappler reported data from PAGASA.

Signal No.

1 remained in effect for Batanes and the northeastern part of Cagayan including the eastern Babuyan Islands. Moderate to heavy rain of 50-100 mm was forecast for Batanes and Cagayan on Tuesday, with similar amounts expected in Batanes on Wednesday and Thursday. Aurora and Isabela may see scattered rain and thunderstorms.

The southwest monsoon, which PAGASA declared on May 30, is also producing moderate to heavy rain in Palawan and Occidental Mindoro through Thursday. Waves up to 4 meters high were forecast on the eastern seaboards of Batanes and Babuyan Islands, with 3.5-meter waves on the northeastern seaboard of mainland Cagayan.

Francisco is the Philippines’ sixth tropical cyclone of 2026 and the second in June.

PAGASA said the storm is unlikely to make landfall and will eventually recurve toward Japan’s Ryukyu Islands, possibly leaving the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Friday. A separate tropical depression located 2,680 km east of southeastern Luzon was moving west northwest at 20 km/h with 55 km/h winds. PAGASA advised residents in affected areas to watch for possible floods and landslides.

Signal No. 2 could be raised for parts of Babuyan Islands and Batanes only if the track shifts westward, a scenario the agency described as becoming less likely.