PAGASA: Huaning intensifies further, may bring torrential rain as it moves closer to Batanes

Typhoon Huaning (Soulik) intensified further as it continued to close in on the Batanes Islands in extreme Northern Luzon Thursday morning, state weather forecasters said.

 

In its 11 a.m. advisory, PAGASA said Typhoon Huaning was estimated at 810 km east of Itbayat town in Batanes as of 10 a.m.

 

Huaning packed sustained winds of 185 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 220 kph.

 

PAGASA forecaster Buddy Javier earlier said it is possible Huaning may intensify into a supertyphoon—a cyclone with winds of up to 210 kph and gustiness of up to 250 kph.

 

PAGASA said Huaning is forecast to move west-northwest at 20 kph and is expected to be 450 km northeast of Itbayat, Batanes by Friday morning.

 

By Saturday morning, it is expected to be 490 km north of Itbayat, Batanes or 80 km northwest of Northern Taiwan and outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).

 

Batanes remained under storm warning signal 1.

 

Torrential rain

 

PAGASA said Huaning may bring rainfall of 10 to 46 mm per hour (heavy to torrential) within its 800-km diameter.

 

It advised fishermen, especially those using small seacraft, not to venture out into the northern and eastern seaboards of Luzon due to big waves generated by Huaning. —KG, GMA News