Signal No. 2 raised over Batanes

Typhoon ‘Helen’ can be seen northeast of Luzon in this satellite photo released by Pagasa Monday morning. PAGASA PHOTO

Signal No. 2 was raised over the Batanes Group of Islands as Typhoon Helen (international name Megi) slightly intensified while continuing its west northwest direction early Monday.

The Babuyan Group of Islands was placed under Signal No. 1, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said.

Helen will be closest to Batanes on Tuesday morning, the weather bureau said.

The typhoon packed maximum sustained winds of 150 kilometers per hour near the center and gusts of to 185 kph. It moved with a speed of 22 kph west northwest.

Helen was last located 610 kilometers east of Basco, Batanes.

Pagasa warned of risky sea travel over the northern and eastern seaboards of Northern Luzon.

Cloudy skies with light to moderate rain and thunderstorms will be experienced over the rest of Luzon, Visayas and the regions of Caraga, Northern Mindanao and Zamboanga Peninsula, Pagasa said.

Partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms will prevail over the rest of Mindanao.