Hanna to be a typhoon on Friday, seen to enhance Southwest Monsoon

Severe Tropical Storm Hanna is expected to develop into a typhoon on Friday before it leaves the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Saturday.

According to PAGASA's tropical cyclone bulletin at 11 p.m., Hanna is less likely to directly cause rainfall throughout the country but is expected to enhance the Southwest Monsoon along with Typhoon Saola (formerly Goring) and Severe Tropical Storm Kirogi.

Saola has left the PAR while Kirogi is being observed outside.

Hanna is packing maximum sustained winds of 11 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 135 kph.

It was moving northwestward at 20 kph and the center of its eye was spotted 95o kms east of extreme Northern Luzon.

While Hanna is less likely to directly cause severe winds, the enhanced Southwest Monsoon is expected to continue bringing gusty conditions over the following areas without wind signals:

• Thursday and Friday: Batanes, Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, Zambales, Bataan, Aurora, Bulacan, Metro Manila, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, Bicol Region, Western Visayas, and the northern portion of Eastern Visayas.
• Saturday: Batanes, Ilocos Region, Abra, Benguet, Zambales, Bataan, Bulacan, Aurora, Metro Manila, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, Bicol Region, Western Visayas, and the northern portion of Eastern Visayas.
• Sunday: Batanes, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Zambales, Bataan, Bulacan, Aurora, Metro Manila, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, Bicol Region, and Western Visayas.

Due to the Southwest Monsoon that Hanna is slightly enhancing, a gale warning is in effect for most of the seaboards of Luzon and the Visayas.

Disruption in civilian maritime activities is expected over these areas due to dangerouns sea conditions, PAGASA said.

PAGASA said Hanna was forecast to make landfall over mainland China as a typhoon near its peak intensity. "Rapid weakening will then ensue following its landfall over mainland China," PAGASA said.

Goring aftermath

Hanna entered the PAR just as Goring left on Wednesday.

A total of 305,481 individuals or 85,395 families were affected by Goring, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said on Thursday.

NDRRMC said the affected people were reported in Ilocos, Cagayan, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Western Visayas, and Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).

Of the affected population, 38,021 persons or 10,468 families were staying inside 469 evacuation centers while 30,702 people or 7,880 families were taking shelter in other places.

One person is missing amid the onslaught of Goring.

A total of 247 houses were reported damaged —162 partially and 85 totally — in Ilocos, Cagayan, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Western Visayas, and CAR.

Damage to infrastructure worth P41,175,000 was reported in Cagayan, Mimaropa, Western Visayas, and CAR, according to the NDRRMC.

Power supply interruptions continued to affect five areas in Cagayan, Calabarzon, and Western Visayas. Water supply problems were also encountered in two areas in Calabarzon and Western Visayas.

Two of the six canceled domestic flights in Cagayan have been resumed.

Due to the 76 seaports that suspended operations, 60 passengers, 10 vessels, and four motorbancas were stranded in Calabarzon and Western Visayas.

A total of 186 classes and 50 work schedules were also suspended due to Goring.

Assistance worth P11,002,449 has been provided to the victims so far, according to the NDRRMC. —NB, GMA Integrated News