Typhoon Ineng maintains strength; Batanes under Signal 2

The Batanes Group of Islands will experience stormy weather with rough to very rough seas, while the Calayan and Babuyan Islands will have rain and gusty winds, due to the effects of Typhoon Ineng (international name Goni), weather service PAGASA said in Sunday morning forecast.

At 4 a.m., Ineng was 265 kms northeast of Basco, Batanes, with maximum sustained winds of 140 kph near the center and gusts of up to 170 kph. Estimated rainful amount within the typhoon's 500 km diameter was from moderate to heavy.

Public Storm Warning Signal Number 2 was up over the Batanes Islands, where a .5 meter storm surge was possible along coastal areas, and where open sea wave heights would be from 4.1 to 14 meters.

Signal No. 1 was meanwhile up over the Calayan and Babuyan Islands, where open sea wave heights would be from 1.25 to 4 meters.

PAGASA warned that flash floods and landslides were a danger in low-lying and mountainous areas under any Storm Signal. Also, fisher folk were advised against sailing over the seaboards of Luzon.

And with Ineng moving north-northeast at 17 kph, the typhoon was projected to be 680 kms northeast of Basco, Batanes, and outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility, by Monday morning.

Meanwhile, flash floods and landslides were aslo a danger in Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon, but this time due to the Ineng-enhanced monsoon rain.

Over the Western and Central Visayas, cloudy skies will be accompanied by light to moderate rain and isolated thunderstorms

Finally, partly cloudy to cloudy conditions with isolated thunderstorms will be experienced over the Eastern Visayas and Mindanao.

Winds will be moderate to strong from the northwest to west over the rest of northern Luzon, and from the southwest over the rest of the country.

Coastal waters not directly affected by Ineng will be moderate to rough. — DVM, GMA News