Typhoon Hanna slightly intensifies; Signal No. 1 stays in Batanes, parts of Babuyan Islands

Typhoon Hanna, whose international name is Haikui. Photo from Pagasa

MANILA, Philippines — Typhoon Hanna (international name: Haikui) slightly strengthened as it moved closer to Southern Taiwan’s coast early Sunday morning.

Based on the 5 a.m., September 3 bulletin of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), Batanes and the northern portion of Babuyan Islands, particularly Babuyan Island and Calayan Island, remain under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 as Hanna intesified.

Hanna’s eye was last located 215 kilometers north-northeast of Itbayat, Batanes, packing maximum sustained winds of 150 kilometers per hour (kph) with gustiness of up to 185 kph. It was moving westward at 20 kph.

The state weather bureau also said that Hanna is still boosting the effects of the southwest monsoon – locally termed habagat – on the country.

READ: Thousands evacuated, flights canceled as Taiwan girds for Typhoon Haikui

The enhanced southwest monsoon is expected to bring rain over the western portion of Luzon and Antique in the next three days, Pagasa noted, as well as windy conditions in Babuyan Islands, Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, Nueva Vizcaya, Zambales, Pampanga, Bataan, Aurora, Bulacan, Metro Manila, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon), Mimaropa (Mindoro Oriental and Occidental, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan), Bicol Region, Western Visayas, and the northern portion of Eastern Visayas.

Pagasa said Hanna is forecast to land on the east coast of Southern Taiwan and exit the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) by Sunday evening or Monday morning as a severe tropical storm.

“Outside the PAR region, Hanna will become slow-moving as it moves westward or west-northwestward over the Taiwan Strait. It is forecast to make its final landfall along the coast of Guangdong or Fujian, China, on Tuesday as a tropical storm,” Pagasa explained.

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