Siony moves towards Luzon Strait; Batanes, Babuyan Islands under Signal No.2
MANILA, Philippines — Severe tropical storm Siony continues to move towards Luzon Strait while Tropical Cyclone Signal (TCWS) No. 2 remains hoisted over Batanes and the Babuyan Islands on Thursday afternoon, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said.
In a 2 p.m. severe weather bulletin, state weathermen said Siony will continue to move westward or west-northwestward in the next 48 hours.
Pagasa also repeated its prediction that Siony will reach typhoon category and will make landfall over the vicinity of Batanes or the Babuyan Islands on Friday morning.
“‘SIONY’ is forecast to reach typhoon category with a peak intensity of 120 km/h by tomorrow morning as it passes near or over the Batanes-Babuyan Islands area,” Pagasa said.
Siony was last spotted at 360 kilometers (kms) east of Basco, Batanes at 1 p.m. The tropical storm is packing maximum sustained winds of 95 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 115 kph, while moving west southwest at 25 kph, Pagasa added.
Meanwhile, Pagasa said Signal No. 1 remains hoisted over 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), and the northern portion of Ilocos Norte (Adams, Pagudpud, Bangui, Dumalneg, Burgos, Vintar, Pasuquin, Bacarra).
