Batanes under Signal No. 1 as Siony moves west-northwestward

Batanes has been placed under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 as severe tropical storm Siony continued to move west-northwestward over the Bashi Channel south of Taiwan, PAGASA announced Friday.

In its 11 p.m. severe weather bulletin, the weather agency said strong breeze to near gale conditions will prevail over Batanes.

Meanwhile, Siony is forecast to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Friday evening.

The severe tropical storm is expected to maintain its strength within the next 12 hours. However, it may weaken due to “increasingly unfavorable conditions” over the West Philippine Sea.

It may be downgraded to a low pressure area (LPA) on Sunday afternoon.

At 4 p.m. on Friday, the center of Siony was estimated at 145 kilometers west-northwest of Itbayat, Batanes with maximum sustained winds of 95 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 115 kph.

It is moving west-northwestward at 20 kph. -NB, GMA News