Typhoon Hanna moves westward, to exit PAR Sunday

Typhoon Hanna maintains its strength as it slows down to 15 kph on its westward path, according to PAGASA’s 5 p.m. cyclone bulletin on Friday.

The center of the typhoon was last located 710 kilometers east northeast of Itbayat, Batanes with maximum sustained winds of 120 kph and gustiness of up to 150 kph.

The state weather bureau said Hanna is less likely to bring rainfall over the country, but the enhanced Southwest Monsoon because of typhoons Hanna, Soila (formerly Goring) and the incoming severe tropical storm Kirogi will bring occasional to monsoon rains over the western portion of Luzon within the next three days.

The enhanced Southwest Monsoon is also forecast to bring gusty conditions over the following areas:

·      Friday: Batanes, 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: Batanes, Ilocos Region, Abra, Benguet, Zambales, Bataan, Bulacan, Aurora, Metro Manila, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, Bicol Region, Western Visayas, and the northern portion of Eastern Visayas.

·      Sunday: Batanes, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Zambales, Bataan, Bulacan, Aurora, Metro Manila, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, Bicol Region, and Western Visayas.

No tropical cyclone wind signal has been raised anywhere in the Philippines as of the moment.

A gale warning has also been placed in effect over most seaboards in Luzon, Western Visayas and the seaboard of Northern Samar.

Meanwhile, Hanna is predicted to move generally west northwestward during the remainder of its time in the Philippine Area of Responsibility.

The typhoon is forecast to exit the PAR by Sunday and pass close or make landfall within the vicinity of Yaeyama Islands in the Ryukyu Archipelago by between Saturday evening and Sunday, and reach its peak intensity by Sunday before making another landfall in Taiwan on Monday.—LDF, GMA Integrated News