Jenny may turn into typhoon, enhance Habagat

Tropical Depression Jenny is not directly affecting the country, although it may enhance the Southwest Monsoon (Habagat), PAGASA said on Friday afternoon.

At 4 p.m., the center of Jenny was located 1,400 kilometers east of southeastern Luzon, carrying maximum sustained winds of 45 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 55 km/h.

It was moving westward at 20 km/h.

''Tropical Depression Jenny is not directly affecting the country. However, considering the proximity of the tropical cyclone to land from the forecast track, this may result in heavy rainfall over Batanes and Babuyan Islands in the next five days,'' PAGASA said in its 5 p.m. tropical cyclone bulletin.

''The Southwest Monsoon may be enhanced by this tropical cyclone beginning on Sunday, resulting in possible occasional rains over the western portions of Central and Southern Luzon,'' it added.

PAGASA said Tropical Cyclone Wind Signals may be raised over areas in Northern Luzon on Sunday ''in anticipation of the onset of tropical cyclone severe winds.''

''However, the hoisting may happen earlier should there be changes in the forecast scenario,'' it said.

Jenny is expected to move generally westward or west northwestward until Saturday before turning further north over the Philippine Sea east of Northern and Central Luzon. 

''A landfall scenario over Batanes-Babuyan or northeastern mainland Cagayan is not ruled out since this is within the forecast confidence cone,'' PAGASA said.

Jenny may reach tropical storm category on Saturday afternoon and develop into a typhoon Wednesday next week during its close approach over Batanes area, the weather agency said. —Jiselle Anne Casucian/VBL, GMA Integrated News