Signal No. 4 up in Batanes; new storm expected Wednesday

This satellite image from Pagasa shows the location of Typhoon Ferdie as of 1130 a.m. Tuesday.

Signal No. 4 was raised in Batanes on Tuesday morning as Typhoon “Ferdie” (international name: Meranti) continued to threaten the province including the Babuyan Group of Islands, according to the state weather bureau.

In its 11:00 a.m. advisory, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Signal No. 3 was also hoisted over the Babuyan Group of Islands, while Signal No. 2 was placed over Ilocos Norte, Apayao and Northern Cagayan.

The rest of Cagayan, Northern Isabela, Kalinga, Abra and Northern Ilocos Sur are under Signal No. 1.

Pagasa said the typhoon maintained its maximum sustained winds of 215 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 250 kph

Ferdie was last plotted at 340 kilometers east southeast of Basco, Batanes, as it moved in a west northwest direction at 23 kilometers per hour.

Pagasa said moderate to heavy rains were expected within the 600-km diameter of the typhoon as it warned residents of extreme northern Luzon against the impact of “very strong winds and heavy rainfall.”

“Ferdie” is expected to be at 150 km west northwest of Basco, Batanes on Wednesday morning; 600 km west northwest of Basco or outside the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) on Thursday morning; 935 km northwest of Basco on Friday morning;  and 1,085 km north northwest of Basco on Saturday morning.

Pagasa said a new tropical storm (international name: Malakas) located at 1,605 km is expected to enter PAR on Wednesday morning.

The storm, which is moving west northwest at 30 kph, will be named “Gener” once it enters PAR. It currently has maximum sustained winds of 75 kph and gustiness of 90 kph. IDL/rga

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