Signal No. 1 remains over Batanes, Babuyan Islands due to Typhoon Hanna

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 1 remained hoisted over Batanes and Babuyan Islands on Sunday morning due to Typhoon Hanna (international name: Haikui), PAGASA said in its 11 a.m. bulletin.

These areas will have winds with speeds of 39-61 km/h in at least 36 hours or intermittent rains may be expected within 36 hours, it added.

Forecast rainfall over Batanes and the northern portion of Babuyan Islands on Sunday is estimated to be 50 to 100 mm.

Hanna continued to intensify as it moved westward near the coast of southern Taiwan.

The typhoon's center was last estimated to be located at 220 km north northeast of Itbayat, Batanes.

Hanna is moving westward at 10 km/h and has maximum sustained winds of 155 km/h near the center and gustiness of up to 190 km/h.

Habagat

The typhoon is also enhancing the Southwest Monsoon (Habagat) which will bring occasional to monsoon rains over the western portion of Luzon and Antique in the next three days.

Gusty conditions will be felt over the following areas not under any TCWS, especially in coastal and upland/mountainous areas exposed to the winds:

·   Sunday : Babuyan Islands, Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, Nueva Vizcaya, Zambales, Pampanga, Bataan, Aurora, Bulacan, Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol Region, Western Visayas, and the northern portion of Eastern Visayas.

·   Monday: Batanes, Babuyan Islands, Ilocos Region, Abra, Benguet, Apayao, Nueva Vizcaya, Zambales, Pampanga, Bataan, Aurora, Bulacan, Metro Manila, Calabarzon, and most of Bicol Region, Mimaropa, and Western Visayas.

·   Tuesday: Batanes, Babuyan Islands, Ilocos Region, Zambales, Bataan, Cavite, the northern portion of Quezon, Lubang Island, Romblon, and Kalayaan Islands.

Coastal waters

PAGASA raised a gale warning for the northern and western seaboards of Luzon, the eastern seaboards of Central and Southern Luzon, portions of seaboards of Northern Quezon, the southern seaboard of Southern Luzon, and the western seaboard of Visayas.

This is due to the combined influence of Hanna and the Southwest Monsoon.

Track, intensity outlook

"HANNA is forecast to move generally west northwestward until it makes landfall at or near peak intensity along the east coast of southern Taiwan this afternoon or evening," PAGASA said.

The typhoon is expected to cross the rugged terrain of southern Taiwan on Sunday night, and thus will weaken.

It will then emerge over the Taiwan Strait then exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility late Sunday evening or early Monday morning.

On Tuesday, Hanna is seen to make its final landfall along the coast of Guangdong or Fujian, China as a severe tropical storm.

PAGASA advised the public and disaster risk reduction and management offices concerned to take all necessary measures to protect life and property. —KG, GMA Integrated News