Weather update. Graphics by INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — Typhoon Hinnamnor may enter the Philippine area of responsibility on Wednesday night and will be assigned the domestic name “Henry”, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said.
In an advisory issued Tuesday, the state weather service said the center of the eye of Hinnamnor was last located 1,655 kilometers east-northeast of extreme Northern Luzon, packing maximum sustained winds of 165 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 205 kph.
Pagasa also said the typhoon exhibits strong typhoon-force winds that extend for up to 320 kilometers from its center.
State meteorologists said Hinnamnor is seen to rapidly intensify into a super typhoon within 24 hours as it moves westward at 30 kph over the sea south of Japan. It is projected to turn west-southwestward on Wednesday as it slows down over the waters southeast of Japan’s Ryukyu Islands.
“On the track forecast, Hinnamnor may enter the PAR region tomorrow (Wednesday) evening. Once inside the PAR, the domestic name Gardo will be assigned to this tropical cyclone,” Pagasa said.
“The extent of tropical cyclone winds of Hinnamnor may continue to expand in the coming days as it moves towards the northern Philippine Sea,” it added.
Pagasa further said it may raise a Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal over extreme Northern Luzon once the typhoon enters the Philippine territory as it could make sailing risky for small vessels since the typhoon may stir up rough seas over the northern and eastern seaboards of Luzon from late Thursday to early Friday.
The state weather bureau’s forecast likewise indicated that Hinnamnor “may become almost stationary” by Friday (September 2) through Saturday (September 3).
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