Typhoon Falcon (Khanun) has further strengthened during the early hours of Monday, July 31, and is currently enhancing the southwest monsoon or habagat. According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), Falcon's maximum sustained winds have increased from 140 km/h to 150 kilometers per hour, with gustiness reaching 185 km/h from the previous 170 km/h.
PAGASA reported in a briefing held past 5 am on Monday that Falcon is expected to continue intensifying over the next one or two days, possibly reaching its peak intensity on either Tuesday, August 1, or Wednesday, August 2. Presently, the typhoon is located about 1,070 kilometers east of extreme Northern Luzon, and it is moving in a north-northwest direction at a speed of 15 km/h. As of now, Falcon remains far from any landmass.
PAGASA forecasts that Falcon will exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) between Tuesday morning and afternoon. After leaving PAR, the typhoon is projected to pass near Japan's Okinawa Islands from Tuesday evening to Wednesday morning. During this period, Falcon is anticipated to gradually slow down, and there is a possibility of it making landfall in Okinawa, though it is not certain.
Even after its departure from PAR, Weather Specialist Obet Badrina from PAGASA warned that Falcon could continue to influence the southwest monsoon, especially as it may slow down midweek. Therefore, it is important to closely monitor the typhoon's movement and impact even after it has left the Philippine territory.
