Typhoon 'Jenny' maintains strength; Signal No. 3 still up over Batanes area

THE Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said on Wednesday that Typhoon «Jenny» continues to maintain its strength as it accelerates toward southern Taiwan.

Pagasa said it would likely exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) either Thursday afternoon or evening.

PHOTO From DOST PAGASA

In a press briefing, weather specialist Obet Badrina, Signal No. 3 remains up over Itbayat in Batanes while Signal No. 2 is raised over the rest of Batanes and the northern portion of Babuyan Islands, including Calayan Islands.

He said Signal No. 1 is up over the rest of Babuyan Islands, the northern portion of mainland Cagayan (Santa Ana, Gonzaga, Buguey, Santa Teresita, Lal-Lo, Camalaniugan, Pamplona, Claveria, Aparri, Ballesteros, Abulug, Allacapan, Sanchez-Mira, Santa Praxedes, Lasam and Gattaran), the northern portion of Apayao (Calanasan, Pudtol, Luna, Santa Marcela and Flora), and the northern portion of Ilocos Norte (Piddig, Bangui, Vintar, Burgos, Pagudpud, Bacarra, Adams, Pasuquin, Carasi, Dumalneg and Laoag City) in Luzon.

Pagasa said the center of the eye of the typhoon was estimated some 210 kilometers east-northeast of Itbayat while moving west-northwestward at 15 kilometers per hour (kph).

It has maximum sustained winds of 150kph near the center and gustiness of up to 185kph.

Badrina said Jenny will continue to enhance the southwest monsoon locally known as «habagat,» which will bring occasional rains over the western portions of Luzon over the next three days.

«The enhancement of habagat by Jenny will bring gusty conditions for the next three days over areas not under any wind signal especially in coastal and upland/mountainous areas exposed to winds,» according to the Pagasa forecaster.

Until early Thursday afternoon, the forecast accumulated rainfall would be from 100 to 200 millimeters over Batanes while 50 to 100mm over the northern portion of Babuyan Islands, the state weather bureau said.