Hanna continues to intensify; Batanes under Signal No. 1

Typhoon Hanna continued to intensify while moving west-northwestward towards the sea east of Taiwan, the state weather bureau PAGASA said Saturday afternoon.

Batanes remained under Signal No. 1 based on PAGASA's 5 p.m. bulletin. 

At 4 p.m., the center of the typhoon was located 375 kilometers east-northeast of Itbayat, Batanes, moving west-northwestward at 20 km/h.

Hanna has maximum sustained winds of 140 km/h near the center and gustiness of up to 170 km/h.

Meanwhile, the Southwest Monsoon, or Habagat, currently enhanced by Hanna, will bring occasional to monsoon rains over the western portion of Luzon in the next three days.

PAGASA said Hanna is forecast to intensify until it makes landfall along the eastern coast of southern Taiwan on Sunday afternoon or evening.

"Considerable weakening is expected as a result of Hanna crossing the rugged landmass of Taiwan. On the forecast track, Hanna will exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility and emerge over the Taiwan Strait around Monday morning," it added. — VBL, GMA Integrated News