Batanes still under Signal No. 2, heavy rains seen in north Luzon

Signal Number 2 remains hoisted over Batanes as Typhoon Henry continues to weaken while moving northwestward over Philippine waters, PAGASA said Friday.

Signal number 1 is still up over the Babuyan Islands and the northeastern portion of mainland Cagayan.

Henry is expected to bring moderate to heavy rains over Ilocos Norte, Batanes, Babuyan Islands, and Abra on Friday night.

Light to moderate to heavy rains are possible over Cagayan and the rest of the Ilocos Region and Cordillera Administrative Region.

Moderate to heavy rains will prevail over Batanes on Saturday, while light to moderate with at times heavy rains may be experienced over the Babuyan Islands.

According to PAGASA, the Southwest Monsoon (Habagat) will bring rains over Isabela, parts of Central Luzon and the rest of CAR in the next 24 hours.

Based on its 5 p.m. bulletin, the weather bureau said the center of the eye of Henry was spotted 350 kilometers east northeast of Itbayat, Batanes at 4 p.m.

It was moving northwestward at 10 kilometers per hour and has maximum sustained winds of 155 km/near the center and gustiness of up to 190 km/h.

A gale warning remains in effect for the seaboards of Northern Luzon and the eastern seaboard of Central Luzon due to the tropical cyclone, PAGASA said.

In the next 24 hours, occasional gust may also be experienced, especially in the coastal and mountainous areas, over Metro Manila, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Bicol Region, Mimaropa, and the remaining localities in the mainland Cagayan that are not under the wind signal.

PAGASA said Henry may further weaken in the next 12 hours. It may intensify for a short period from Saturday morning to Sunday as it accelerates northward.

The weather bureau said the typhoon is expected to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility by Saturday evening or Sunday morning. —VBL, GMA News