Hanna accelerates westward, enhances Southwest Monsoon

Severe Tropical Storm Hanna continued to accelerate as it moved westward at 15kph over the Philippine Sea, PAGASA said on Thursday afternoon.

According to PAGASA's 5 p.m. tropical cyclone bulletin, Hanna was last seen 1,035 kilometers east of extreme Northern Luzon with maximum sustained winds of 110 kph and gustiness of 135 kph.

Hanna, along with Super Typhoon Saola (formerly Goring) which is already outside the PAR, and Severe Tropical Storm Kirogi which is still outside, will enhance the Southwest Monsoon.

The Southwest Monsoon is forecast to bring occasional monsoon rains over western Luzon in the next three days.

The following areas are also predicted to have gusty conditions despite no tropical wind cyclone signals being raised at the moment:

Thursday and Friday: Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, Zambales, Bataan, Aurora, Bulacan, Metro Manila, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, Bicol Region, Western Visayas, and the northern portion of Eastern Visayas.

Saturday: Zambales, Bataan, Bulacan, Aurora, Metro Manila, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, Bicol Region, Western Visayas, and the northern portion of Eastern Visayas.

While Hanna is less likely to bring rough sea conditions to any Philippine Seabord within the forecast period, a gale warning is still in effect over most of seaboard of Luzon and the Visayas.

Hanna might intensify into a typhoon within 12 hours within the PAR and is expected to reach its peak intensity by late Saturday to early Sunday.

According to PAGASA, the storm may exit the PAR by Saturday. —NB, GMA Integrated News