Signal No. 2 still up in Batanes, Babuyan Islands due to Siony; strong winds, storm surge expected

Severe Tropical Storm Siony maintained its strength as it continued to move towards Batanes, PAGASA said Thursday evening, adding that the storm is expected to bring strong winds, heavy rains, and storm surge in areas with storm warning signals.

In its 8 p.m. severe weather bulletin, PAGASA said the center of Siony was located 255 kilometers east of Basco, Batanes at 7 p.m. with maximum sustained winds of 100 km per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 125 kph. It is moving west northwestward at 20 kph.

PAGASA said Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 2 is still raised over Batanes and Babuyan Islands.

The following, meanwhile, are placed under TCWS No. 1:

• The northern portion of mainland Cagayan (Santa Ana, Gonzaga, Lal-Lo, Allacapan, Santa Teresita, Buguey, Camalaniugan, Aparri, Ballesteros, Abulug, Pamplona, Sanchez-Mira, Claveria, Santa Praxedes)
• the northern portion of Apayao (Santa Marcela, Luna, Calanasan)
• the northern portion of Ilocos Norte (Adams, Pagudpud, Bangui, Dumalneg, Burgos, Vintar, Pasuquin, Bacarra)

The weather bureau said Siony will continue to move westward or west-northwestward on Thursday evening to Friday afternoon. It will likely pass over or make close approach in the vicinity of Batanes on Friday morning.

Siony is forecast to reach typhoon category in the next 24 hours with peak intensity of 120 kph. It is also forecasted to exit the Philippine area of responsibility on Friday afternoon or evening.

Hazards

PAGASA said the earliest onset of strong breeze to near gale conditions associated with Siony over the areas under TCWS will be between Thursday evening and Friday morning.

Damaging gale to storm-force winds, meanwhile, will begin to affect areas under TCWS on Friday morning.

PAGASA said Siony’s intensification into typhoon category prior to landfall or close approach over Batanes remains a potential scenario. The possibility of hoisting TCWS No. 3 along the projected track is also not ruled out.

On Thursday evening, scattered light to moderate with, at times, heavy rain showers will prevail over most parts of Central Luzon, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA and Bicol Region due to the trough of Siony, while most parts of Visayas and Mindanao will experience the same weather conditions due to the intertropical convergence zone.

Moderate to heavy rains due to Siony will also begin affecting Batanes and Babuyan Islands on Friday morning, PAGASA said.

The weather agency still warned affected residents to prepare for possible flash floods and landslides during heavy or prolonged rainfall.

A storm surge of 1.0 to 2.0 meters, meanwhile, might be experienced over the coastal areas of Batanes and Babuyan Islands in the next 24 hours.

Moreover, in the next 24 hours, the coastal waters of areas under TCWS will have rough to high seas (3.0 to 8.0 m), while areas under gale warning will be experiencing rough to very rough seas (3.0 to 5.5 m).

Moderate to rough seas (1.5 to 2.5 m) will also prevail over the western seaboard of Central Luzon and the eastern seaboards of Visayas and Mindanao.

“Mariners of small seacrafts are advised to take precautionary measures when venturing out to sea. Inexperienced mariners should avoid navigating in these conditions,” PAGASA said. -MDM, GMA News