Batanes still under signal No. 1; rains to persist over rest of PH

Typhoon “Gener” (international name Malakas) slightly intensified as it continued to move toward Taiwan on Friday afternoon.

Signal No. 1 remained hoisted over the Batanes group of islands, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said.

The typhoon was last located 200 kilometers east northeast of Basco, Batanes, and traversing Bashi Channel.

Gener packed maximum sustained winds of 160 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 195 kph. It moved with a speed of 20 kph north northwest.

The typhoon is expected to leave the Philippine area of responsibility by Saturday evening or early Sunday.

Cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and thunderstorms will be experienced over Ilocos region and the provinces of Apayao, Cagayan, Zambales, Bataan, Occidental Mindoro and Palawan, Pagasa said.

Partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms will prevail over Metro Manila and the rest of the country.