‘Huaning’ maintains strength as it inches closer to Taiwan-Batanes area

Project NOAH MTSAT image as of July 11, 2013, 5:01 PM. Screengrab from https://noah.dost.gov.ph/

MANILA, Philippines — Typhoon “Huaning” (international name Soulik) maintained its strength as it headed towards Taiwan-Batanes area, the state weather bureau said Thursday afternoon.

Huaning is packing maximum sustained winds of 185 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 220 kph, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said.

Signal No. 1 (45-60 kph winds) remained hoisted over Batanes Group of Islands.

Heavy to torrential rains (10-46 mm) were expected within the 900 kilometer-diameter of the typhoon.

It was last observed 690 kilometers east northeast of Itbayat, Batanes, with a speed of 20 kph as it moved west-northwestward.

Huaning was forecast to be outside the Philippine territory or at 170 km northwest of northern Taiwan by Saturday afternoon.

Fishermen specially those using small seacraft were advised not to venture out into the northern and eastern seaboards of Luzon due to big waves generated the typhoon.

Batanes Group of Islands will experience rains with gusty winds. Western Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula and Northern Mindanao will have cloudy skies with light to moderate rainshowers and thunderstorms, Pagasa’s afternoon bulletin said.

Metro Manila and the rest of the country will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms, it added.

Moderate to strong winds blowing from the west to southwest will prevail over northern and eastern Luzon and eastern Visayas and the coastal waters along these areas will be moderate to rough, it also said.

Elsewhere, winds will be light to moderate coming from the west to southwest with slight to moderate seas.