Signal No. 1 may be raised over Batanes as ‘Hanna’ keeps strength

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 1) — Signal No. 1 may be hoisted over Batanes as Typhoon Hanna maintained its strength over the Philippine Sea, the state weather bureau said.

In a press briefing on Friday evening, weather specialist Daniel James Villamil said this will happen once Hanna makes a southward shift in the track forecast.

According to the 11 p. m. bulletin of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), southwest monsoon, enhanced by Hanna and two other tropical cyclones outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), will bring occasional to monsoon rains in most parts of Luzon in the coming days.

“Itong tatlong bagyo na ito ang nagpapa-iral sa ating southwest monsoon o hanging habagat na nagdudulot ng pag-ulan sa malaking bahagi ng Luzon at kanlurang bahagi ng Visayas,” Villamil said.

[Translation: These three typhoons are enhancing the southwest monsoon or habagat that brings rain to a large part of Luzon and the western part of the Visayas.]

Heavy rainfall is expected in Abra, Benguet, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite, and Batangas over the weekend, PAGASA added.

A gale warning is also raised in the seaboards of Luzon and Western Visayas, and the seaboard of Northern Samar due to continuous rainfall.

The weather bureau said Hanna is forecast to exit the PAR between Sunday evening and Monday morning.

State meteorologists earlier said they are also monitoring cloud clusters east of the country that may form into a low pressure area within 24 hours.

It is projected to develop into a tropical depression over the weekend.