Siony will likely pass over Itbayat in a few hours, Signal No. 2 remains over Batanes, Babuyan Islands

The center of Severe Tropical Storm Siony will likely pass close to or over Itbayat Island within two to three hours, according to the Severe Weather Bulletin issued by PAGASA early Friday morning.

Siony is forecast to make landfall or close approach over Batanes (more likely in the vicinity of Itbayat Island) within the next 2 to 3 hours as it continues to move west-northwestward and exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) tonight.

Siony will then turn southwestward tomorrow morning over the sea to the southwest of Taiwan and move over the West Philippine Sea towards the Paracel Islands area.

Siony is forecast to either maintain its current strength or slightly intensify to 100 km/h within the next 24 hours. Beyond this 24-hour window, the storm is forecast to significantly weaken due to increasingly unfavorable conditions associated with a surge of the northeasterlies over the West Philippine Sea.

Siony may be downgraded to a Low Pressure Area (LPA) on Monday.

As of 4 a.m. on Friday, the center of Severe Tropical Storm Siony was estimated at 60 kilometers east northeast of Basco, Batanes or 70 kilometers east of Itbayat, Batanes with maximum sustained winds of 95 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 115 kph and moving westward at 20 kph.

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 2 is hoisted over the following areas:

• Batanes
• Babuyan Islands

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. is raised over the following areas:

• 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)

Areas under TCWS No. 2 are currently experiencing damaging gale- to storm-force winds, while those under TCWS No. 1 are currently experiencing strong breeze to near gale conditions.

On Friday, the passage of Siony will bring moderate to heavy rains over areas under TCWS No. 2 and light to moderate with at times heavy rains over areas under TCWS No. 1.

Flooding (including flashfloods) and rain-induced landslides may occur during heavy or prolonged rainfall especially in areas identified in geohazard maps as highly or very highly susceptible to these hazards.

In the next 24 hours, there remains a minimal to moderate risk of storm surge of 1.0 to 2.0 m over the coastal areas of Batanes and Babuyan Islands.

Hazards affecting coastal waters

In the next 24 hours, rough to high seas (3.0 to 8.0 m) will prevail over the coastal waters of areas where TCWS #2 and #1 are in effect while areas under gale warning will be experiencing rough to very rough seas (3.0 to 4.5 m).

Sea travel is risky over these waters for all types of seacrafts in areas under TCWS and for small seacrafts in areas under gale warning.

Moderate to rough seas (1.5 to 3.0 m) will be experienced over the western seaboard of Central Luzon and the eastern seaboards of Southern Luzon, 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.

Other tropical systems being monitored

The LPA outside the PAR was estimated at 1,515 kilometers east of Mindanao and is forecast to move generally west-northwestward or northwestward and may enter the PAR by Friday afternoon or evening.

The LPA is heading towards the direction of Eastern Visayas and may likely reach the area by SAturday afternoon or evening. This weather disturbance may develop into Tropical Depression Tonyo within the next 48 to 72 hours. -- BAP, GMA News